DEVELOPMENT OF A SOFTWARE PACKAGE TO COMPUTE THE INCOMING AND NET SOLAR IRRADIANCE

THE OBJECTIVE OF THIS WORK IS TO DEVELOP A COMMERCIAL SOFTWARE SYSTEM WITH THE CAPABILITY OF COMPUTING DAILY AND SHORT-TERM MEAN INCIDENT AND NET SOLAR IRRADIANCE AT THE SURFACE AT A SPATIAL RESOLUTION OF 1 - 50 KM FOR ANY LOCATION OF THE GLOBE. THESE COMPUTATIONS WILL BE BASED ON EXISTING METHODS AND NEW TECHNIQUES DEVELOPED WITHIN THE SCOPE OF THE PROPOSED PROJECT. IN PHASE I, WE PROPOSE TO DEVELOP A COMPACT, DOCUMENTED SOFTWARE PACKAGE TO COMPUTE INCIDENT AND NET SOLAR IRRADIANCE FOR MID-LATITUDES AND TROPICAL REGIONS, USING GOES VISSR DATA AND SIMPLE RADIATIVE TRANSFER MODELING OF CLOUD AND ATMOSPHERIC PROPERTIES. IN PHASE II, WE PROPOSE TO DEVELOP METHODS THAT WILL EXPAND THE POSSIBILITIES OF THE PACKAGE DEVELOPED IN PHASE II AND WILL INCLUDE THE USE OF OTHER SENSORS SUCH AS AVHRR AND SSM/I. THE COMMERCIAL SOFTWARE SYSTEM TO BE PRODUCED AT THE END OF PHASE II WILL PROVIDE COMPUTING CAPABILITIES FOR THE ENTIRE GLOBE FOR APPLICATIONS RANGING FROM CROP GROWTH FORECAST, PRIMARY PRODUCTIVITY ESTIMATIONS AND CLIMATE STUDIES.