Objective
ESSENTIAL CONTRIBUTION TO THE EUROPEAN CONCERTED ACTION ON MICRO-CLIMATES.
In the framework of the Commission of European Communities solar research programme, the joint European research project aims to increase knowledge of microclimatic influences on solar radiation and further develop tools to predict the harvestable solar energy. Measurement networks were installed in 8 locations with typical microclimates, and solar radiation, meteorological and atmospheric pollution data were collected for up to 25 months.
These data sets make it possible to define microweather and microclimate characteristics. They also allow the development and verification of computer assisted calculation methods for the prediction of technically harvestable local solar energy.
IN ORDER TO IMPROVE THE PREDICTABILITY OF THE TECHNICALLY USABLE HELIOTHERMAL POTENTIAL OF A SPECIFIC SITE, A RESEARCH PROGRAMME ON SOLAR MICROCLIMATES HAS BEEN LAUNCHED BY THE COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES, EUROPEAN SOLAR MICROCLIMATES, ACTION D-1 OF SOLAR ENERGY RESEARCH PROGRAMME.
THE FOLLOWING ARE THE GENERAL AIMS OF THE STUDY:
- TO PROVIDE FOR A BETTER UNDERSTANDING OF THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN CLIMATIC FACTORS AND SOLAR RADIATION
- TO DETERMINE THE EFFECT OF ANTHROPOGENETIC POLLUTION ON THE TECHNICALLY USABLE SOLAR ENERGY
- TO ESTABLISH SOUND CORRELATION MODELS BETWEEN WEATHER DATA, POLLUTION, REGIONAL OROGRAPHY AND THE SOLAR RADIATION PATTERN.
EIGHT CHARACTERISTICS SITES HAVE BEEN SELECTED:
BRUSSELS AND TORINO: INDUSTRIAL CITIES SITUATED IN PLAINS;
GRENOBLE AND SAARBRUCKEN: INDUSTRIAL TOWNS IN NARROW VALLEYS;
STRASBOURG: THE MICROCLIMATE OF THE UPPER RHINE VALLEY;
VENDEE AND PENTLAND HILLS (SCOTLAND): INTERACTION OF COASTAL MARINE AND INLAND CLIMATE;
SIERRA NEVADA: STRONG CLIMATIC VARIATIONS IN MOUNTAIN VALLEYS.
ALL THESE SITES, MEASURING NETWORKS FOR GLOBAL SOLAR RADIATIONS, METEOROLOGICAL DATA AND POLLUTANTS ARE TO BE SET UP, OR, AS FAR AS AVAILABLE, DATA RECORDINGS ARE TO BE COLLECTED FROM EXISTING NETWORKS. ON THE BASIS OF THE RECORDED DATA AND THE TOPOGRAPHIC AND OROGRAPHIC CHARACTERISTICS OF THE LOCATION, THE SITE-SPECIFIC HELIOTHERMAL POTENTIAL WILL BE CORRELATED TO SITE-SPECIFIC DATA AND METEOROLOGICAL DATA USING NUMERICAL MODELS. THE RESEARCH WORK OF ONE GROUP ESPECIALLY CONCENTRATES ON THE DEVELOPMENT OF MICROCOMPUTER MODELS USING EASILY AVAILABLE METEOROLOGICAL AND SITE-SPECIFIC DATA AS INPUT.
THE DATA RECORDS OF ALL INVESTIGATED SITES ARE TO BE COMPATIBLE IN FORMAT AND STRUCTURE AND WILL BE FILED IN EASILY ACCESSIBLE FORM. THE PROJECT IS ORGANIZED AS A CONCERTED ACTION OF TEN DIFFERENT RESEARCH GROUPS IN SEVEN COUNTRIES. ONE GROUP IS ACTING AS COORDINATOR TO ASSURE THE COMPATIBILITY OF MEASURING METHODS, DATA REGISTRATION, CORRELATION MODELS AND THE MANAGEMENT OF A CENTRAL DATA BANK.
Fields of science
Programme(s)
Topic(s)
Data not availableCall for proposal
Data not availableFunding Scheme
CSC - Cost-sharing contractsCoordinator
52457 Aldenhoven
Germany