QATAR DYNAMIC SOLAR ATLAS AND SOLAR RESOURCE ASSESSMENT

Solar resource assessment is key preliminary to any successful solar energy production project. This study presents the solar resource assessment and mapping efforts that are currently being carried out at the Qatar Environment and Energy Research Institute (QEERI) in Qatar, to create a dynamic solar atlas for Qatar, showing solar irradiation, across the country, every 15 minutes. These data are essential for the successful harnessing and utilization of solar energy. Rigorous analysis of solar irradiation components measured through ground monitoring stations combined with data derived from satellite imagery has made it possible to generate the dynamic atlas. The developed maps will help identify areas and locations with high solar energy generation potentials. Direct Normal Irradiance (DNI), Diffused Horizontal Irradiation (DHI) and Global Horizontal Irradiation (GHI) will be calculated from the satellite images and calibrated and validated with their corresponding ground measured values. The time series of these valuable maps will enable solar energy short-term forecasting and will contribute to the successful operation of solar energy production facilities in the country. The generated datasets will be available through a solar geo-portal on the World Wide Web.