Assessment of Empirical Models to Estimate UV-A, UV-B and UV-E Solar Irradiance from GHI
Abstract
Exposure to the UV portion of the solar irradiance reaching the ground can have important impacts on human health, vegetable growth and degradation processes. Three families of simple UV irradiation models based on GHI are trained and evaluated using datasets from three sites in the Uruguayan territory (one of them in King George’s Island, Antarctica). The models use relative air mass, clearness index to estimate 15-minute irradiation in the UV-A, UV-B, and UV-E bands. Satellite-derived (OMI/TOMS) daily Ozone concentration is also used for UV-B and UV-E bands since it significantly improves performance. UV-A irradiation is predicted with relative uncertainty under 8%, while UV-B and UV-E uncertainties are under 10% of the measured averages.