Management and Operation of Qatar's Solar Radiation Monitoring Network
Abstract
Solar resource assessment in Qatar started in late 2012 with the deployment of a complete monitoring station in Doha to measure direct, global, diffuse and longwave (infrared) irradiances. In early 2019, another monitoring station was installed at the site of Qatar's first solar PV plant, and in collaboration with the Qatar Meteorological Department (QMD) a network of 13 high-precision monitoring stations was fully deployed in late 2019. Thus, 15 stations across the country measure direct, global and diffuse radiations with one-minute resolution at all sites, on top of the meteorological parameters measured by QMD, and some extra measurements at two of the sites (ultraviotet and infrared radiation). This paper presents a description of the solar stations deployed in Qatar, the related operation and management processes, covering from data collection to transmission and quality assurance.