Effect of the Ground Albedo on the Estimation of Solar Radiation on Tilted Flat-Plate Surfaces: The Case of Saudi Arabia

Ashraf Farahat, Harry D. Kambezidis () and Styliani I. Kampezidou
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Ashraf Farahat: Department of Physics, College of General Studies, King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals, Dhahran SA-31261, Saudi Arabia
Harry D. Kambezidis: Atmospheric Research Team, Institute of Environmental Research and Sustainable Development, National Observatory of Athens, GR-11810 Athens, Greece
Styliani I. Kampezidou: Aerospace Systems Design Laboratory, Georgia Institute of Technology, 275 Ferst Dr NW, Atlanta, GA 30313, USA

Energies, 2023, vol. 16, issue 23, 1-26

Abstract: This work investigates the influence of ground albedo on the solar radiation obtained by surfaces mounted on fixed-tilt-to-south, one-axis, and two-axis systems. To do this, estimation of the solar radiation difference is performed by applying real albedo and zero albedo. This is achieved within Saudi Arabia at 82 selected sites. Annual, seasonal, and monthly mean solar energy differences are computed as a function of the site’s number, latitude, and local near-real ground albedo. The great variation in the ground-albedo values at the 82 sites (0.1–0.46) could be thought of as having a significant effect on the solar radiation levels received on the three tracking modes. This analysis shows quite the opposite; zero-albedo ground diminishes solar radiation levels by 1.43%, 3.50%, and 3.20%, respectively, for the three modes. Therefore, in most solar engineering applications, a ground albedo of 0.2 (considered a reference) can be used without losing accuracy. This is the main conclusion of the study, which must, however, be applied with caution in areas with snow cover, especially for mode-III tracking systems. In such situations, the increase in solar radiation levels may be up to 15% (but ≈3.5% for mode-I and -II systems instead).

Keywords: ground albedo; surface-reflected radiation; solar radiation on tilted surfaces; Saudi Arabia (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q Q0 Q4 Q40 Q41 Q42 Q43 Q47 Q48 Q49 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2023
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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