Characteristics and Error Analysis of Solar Resources Derived from COMS Satellite

The characteristics of solar resources in South Korea were analyzed by comparing the solar irradiance derived from COMS (Communication, Ocean and Meteorological Satellite) with in-situ ground observation data (Pyranometer). Satellite-derived solar irradiance and in-situ observation showed general coincidence with correlation coefficient higher than 0.9, but the satellite observations tended to overestimate the radiation amount compared to the ground observations. Analysis of hourly and monthly irradiance showed that relatively large discrepancies between the satellite and ground observations exist after sunrise and during July-August period which were mainly attributed to uncertainties in the satellite retrieval such as large atmospheric optical thickness and cloud amount. But differences between the two observations did not show distinct diurnal or seasonal cycles. Analysis of regional characteristics of solar irradiance showed that differences between satellite and in-situ observations are relatively large in metrocity such as Seoul and coastal regions due to air pollution and sea salt aerosols which act to increase the uncertainty in the satellite retrieval. It was concluded that the satellite irradiance data can be used for assessment and prediction of solar energy resources overcoming the limitation of ground observations, although it still has various sources of uncertainty.