4775 (RP-1226) - Integration of ASOS Weather Data into Model-Derived Solar Radiation PDF

Recent changes from manual to automated weather observing systems at most airports have introduced biases that influence building energy calculations. In particular, these biases compromise the accuracy of model-derived solar radiation. This paper summarizes changes in methods and instrumentation used to observe weather over the past decade, the consequences that these changes have on building energy calculations, and a new solar radiation model developed to help alleviate these consequences. This new model uses observations from the U.S. National Weather Service’s Automated Surface Observation Systems (ASOS) to estimate global horizontal, direct normal, and diffuse horizontal solar radiation and allows for application to different climatic regimes while minimizing season-specific and cloud-condition-specific mean error biases. Model evaluation reveals that errors in solar radiation estimation are comparable to other contemporary solar radiation models.

Units: Dual