Establishing new model for predicting the global solar radiation on horizontal surface in Osmaniye

Solar radiation data and its components are one of the most important parameters for the system designed for solar energy applications in a certain region. In most cases, it is nearly impossible to find and measure solar radiation data. Thus, in places in which there is no solar radiation data, it is possible to determine solar radiation by carrying out a valid correlation. In this study, solar radiation models on the horizontal surface have been investigated and by making use of the data gathered from the meteorological measurement device (vantage PRO2) established in the university campus of Osmaniye Korkut Ata, a new model for the global solar radiation on horizontal surface in Osmaniye has been developed. At the beginning of the study, meteorological measuring device was established in 20 m high and solar radiation data were obtained in five-minute time interval from 09.09.2012 to 09.09.2013. Taking the measured data into consideration, a new model has been developed to determine the solar energy potential in Osmaniye, and nine different models have been compared with each other by using radiation data previously collected. In this study, instantaneous global solar radiation on horizontal surface of Osmaniye has been determined by using simple calculation method and a comparison of measured and calculated values has been made. Therefore, the best approach model in the estimation of global solar radiation on the horizontal surface of Osmaniye has been determined. Moreover, with a view to showing performance analysis of models, the statistical testing methods such as mean absolute percentage errors (MAPE), mean absolute bias error (MABE), root mean square error (RMSE) were used. The results reveal that a new model seems highly acceptable for predicting the solar radiation in Osmaniye.