Date of Award:

5-1980

Document Type:

Thesis

Degree Name:

Master of Science (MS)

Department:

Plants, Soils, and Climate

Department name when degree awarded

Soil Science and Biometeorology

Committee Chair(s)

Inge Dirmhirn

Committee

Inge Dirmhirn

Committee

Gene Woolridge

Committee

Jack Chatelain

Abstract

This study addresses the availability of total solar irradiance at the earth's surface during varying weather conditions. Two years of irradiance and meteorological data were collected at mountain and valley sites along 40° North latitude in the Rocky Mountains of Utah and Colorado.

Generalized cases of recurring seasonal weather episodes and the associated total irradiance are identified and discussed, including local mesoscale phenomena (orographic clouds, valley fog, etc.) unique to mountainous regions. The generalized cases can be useful in long-range energy assessment planning. The east and west slopes of the Rocky Mountains are shown to have similar annual average solar energy potential, however the seasonal differences reveal unique climates which require different considerations for each slope.

Short-term relationships between cloudiness and total irradiance are developed for the mountainous region, providing a tool for forecasting solar irradiance using a cloudiness forecast. Total irradiance is shown to correlate much better to opaque sky cover than to total cloud cover. The relationships on the east and west slopes are similar, however greater variations are observed with elevation between the mountain and valley sites. Short-term forecasting of irradiance is found to be limited due to unreliable cloudiness forecasting techniques, though satellite imagery trajectories are more reliable than numerical methods.

Checksum

9b7b24eb700f053bb7d7456e358cb4f6

Download

Included in

Life Sciences Commons

Share

COinS

Copyright for this work is retained by the student. If you have any questions regarding the inclusion of this work in the Digital Commons, please email us at .