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Influences of Cloud Microphysics on the Components of Solar Irradiance in the WRF-Solar Model

Journal Article · · Atmosphere (Basel)
 [1];  [2];  [3];  [2];  [4];  [4]
  1. Brookhaven National Laboratory (BNL), Upton, NY (United States); Cornell Univ., Ithaca, NY (United States)
  2. Brookhaven National Laboratory (BNL), Upton, NY (United States)
  3. Brookhaven National Laboratory (BNL), Upton, NY (United States); Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States)
  4. National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), Golden, CO (United States)
+ Show Author Affiliations

An accurate forecast of Global Horizontal solar Irradiance (GHI) and Direct Normal Irradiance (DNI) in cloudy conditions remains a major challenge in the solar energy industry. This study focuses on the impact of cloud microphysics on GHI and its partition into DNI and Diffuse Horizontal Irradiance (DHI) using the Weather Research and Forecasting model specifically designed for solar radiation applications (WRF-Solar) and seven microphysical schemes. Three stratocumulus (Sc) and five shallow cumulus (Cu) cases are simulated and evaluated against measurements at the US Department of Energy’s Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM) user facility, Southern Great Plains (SGP) site. Results show that different microphysical schemes lead to spreads in simulated solar irradiance components up to 75% and 350% from their ensemble means in the Cu and Sc cases, respectively. The Cu cases have smaller microphysical sensitivity due to a limited cloud fraction and smaller domain-averaged cloud water mixing ratio compared to Sc cases. Cloud properties also influence the partition of GHI into DNI and DHI, and the model simulates better GHI than DNI and DHI due to a non-physical error compensation between DNI and DHI. The microphysical schemes that produce more accurate liquid water paths and effective radii of cloud droplets have a better overall performance.

Research Organization:
Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States). Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM) Data Center; Brookhaven National Laboratory (BNL), Upton, NY (United States); National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), Golden, CO (United States)
Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE Office of Science (SC), Biological and Environmental Research (BER); USDOE Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE), Renewable Power Office. Solar Energy Technologies Office
Contributing Organization:
Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States); Argonne National Laboratory (ANL), Argonne, IL (United States)
Grant/Contract Number:
SC0012704; AC36-08GO28308
OSTI ID:
2283972
Alternate ID(s):
OSTI ID: 2311888
OSTI ID: 2333677
OSTI ID: 2396893
Report Number(s):
NREL/JA--5D00-88372
Journal Information:
Atmosphere (Basel), Journal Name: Atmosphere (Basel) Journal Issue: 1 Vol. 15; ISSN 2073-4433
Publisher:
MDPICopyright Statement
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English

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Related Subjects

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
Diffuse Horizontal Irradiance (DHI)
Direct Normal Irradiance (DNI)
Global Horizontal solar Irradiance (GHI)
Southern Great Plains (SGP)
WRF-Solar model
cloud microphysics
cloudy condition
solar irradiance