STATISTICAL STUDY OF SOLAR-RADIATION INFORMATION IN AN EQUATORIAL REGION (SINGAPORE)

Results of regression analysis relating total solar radiation with common meteorological factors, based on data from Singapore, are summarized. The regression coefficients are found to be unstable over different periods of time, producing poor radiation estimates. A set of useful statistical properties of measured radiation data is next presented, showing the expected number of days in a year and in a given month of the year in which daily total radiation falls within a given range of values, and also the frequencies of occurrence of periods of successive days in which radiation is below specified values. Probabilistic limits of figures are also given to enable designers and users of solar energy utilization systems to perform calculations based on ranges of possible values, rather than point estimates, of amounts of expected radiation. © 1979.