Methods for estimating solar radiation in the northwest region of Minas Gerais

Solar radiation is a component responsible for maintaining the life on the planet. Despite its importance, solar radiation is not recorded in most conventional meteorological station since not all have equipments to measure it, and then, it is usual to use empirical solar radiation estimation methods. In order to test and calibrate models for estimating solar radiation data were collected from four meteorological stations belonging to the National Institute of Meteorology (INMET) to represent the climatic region northwest of Minas Gerais for the period from 2008 to 2010. Based on these data, nine models to estimate global solar radiation were tested and calibrated. All the models use maximum and minimum air temperature as predictor and two of them also use rainfall. The most accurate models were De Jong and Stewart, Bristow and Campbell, Donatelli and Campbell and model of two Hunt, with root mean square error about 3.1MJ m(-2) d(-1) and determination coefficient around of 62%. However, all these models tended to have an overestimation for values of radiation below the average and an underestimation for values higher than the average. Therefore there is need to propose new models that minimize this trend.