Solar irradiance modeling augmented with atmospheric water vapor data

A computer implemented method of estimating solar irradiance, the method comprising:

• constructing, in a computing device, a reference irradiance set of tuples, the reference irradiance set of tuples each having at least a numerical identifier for a location for which a global horizontal irradiance exists, a timestamp and a measured global horizontal irradiance for a location and timestamp;
• constructing, in the computing device, a reference predictor set of tuples, the reference predictor set of tuples each having at least a numerical identifier for a particular location, a universal coordinated timestamp, a visible spectrum pixel intensity value from a satellite image for the particular location and a timestamp, an infrared pixel intensity value for spectral band m for the particular location and a timestamp, an elevation for a location with a numerical identifier for the particular location, snow cover for the particular location and a timestamp, atmospheric turbidity for the particular location and a timestamp, atmospheric water vapor content for the particular location and a timestamp, and a clear sky global horizontal irradiance for the particular location and a timestamp;
• merging, by the computing device, the reference irradiance set of tuples and the reference predictor set of tuples by matching the numerical identifiers for a location for which a global horizontal irradiance exists in the reference irradiance set of tuples and the timestamp with the numerical identifier for the particular location in the reference predictor set of tuples and the timestamp to provide a reference data set of tuples;
• and
• optimizing parameters p1 . . . pn of a parametric function ƒ that estimates global horizontal irradiance in order to minimize the least squares error between the reference predictor set of tuples and the reference irradiance set of tuples to provide a set of estimated global horizontal irradiance values for the specific location and the timestamp that provides a forecast global horizontal irradiance map on a display, wherein the set of estimated global horizontal irradiance values are used by the computing device to determine a performance yield of a solar resource.

A computer implemented method of estimating solar irradiance, the method comprising:

• constructing, in a computing device, a reference irradiance set of tuples, the reference irradiance set of tuples each having at least a numerical identifier for a location for which a global horizontal irradiance exists, a timestamp and a measured global horizontal irradiance for a location and timestamp;
• constructing, in the computing device, a reference predictor set of tuples, the reference predictor set of tuples each having at least a numerical identifier for a particular location, a universal coordinated timestamp, a visible spectrum pixel intensity value from a satellite image for the particular location and a timestamp, an infrared pixel intensity value for spectral band m for the particular location and a timestamp, an elevation for a location with a numerical identifier for the particular location, snow cover for the particular location and a timestamp, atmospheric turbidity for the particular location and a timestamp, atmospheric water vapor content for the particular location and a timestamp, and a clear sky global horizontal irradiance for the particular location and a timestamp;
• merging, by the computing device, the reference irradiance set of tuples and the reference predictor set of tuples by matching the numerical identifiers for a location for which a global horizontal irradiance exists in the reference irradiance set of tuples and the timestamp with the numerical identifier for the particular location in the reference predictor set of tuples and the timestamp;
• and
• estimating, by the computing device, global horizontal irradiance for a specific location and a timestamp by minimizing the least squares error between the reference predictor set of tuples and the reference irradiance set of tuples to provide a set of estimated global horizontal irradiance values for the specific location and the timestamp, wherein the set of estimated global horizontal irradiance values are used by the computing device to at least one of:
• estimate output of a photovoltaic system;
• determine a performance yield of a photovoltaic system;
• determine a rate of degradation of a photovoltaic system;
• monitor performance of a photovoltaic system;
• evaluate efficiency of a building by determining an environmental load of the building;
• and
• determine if the specific location is suitable for a photovoltaic system.