ASSESSMENT OF THE NETWORKS FOR MEASURING AND MODELING SOLAR-RADIATION IN BRITISH-COLUMBIA AND ADJACENT AREAS OF WESTERN CANADA

The coverage provided by the existing solar radiation monitoring network for British Columbia and adjacent areas in western Canada is assessed and found to be inadequate. It is generally advantageous to use a numerical solar radiation model at available sites to augment the observed values, although this is not a complete solution to the problem. It is also shown that the ability to extrapolate solar radiation data from measurement and modelling locations is strongly determined by the general nature of the synoptic weather conditions. In addition, the use of solar radiation extrapolations is restricted by problems involving homogeneity and isotropy assumptions. Les auteurs presentent une evaluation de la distribution des stations en Colombie britannique et les aires adjacents du Canada de I'ouest mesurant la radiation solaire; ils en concluent que le reseau actuel est inadequat. 11s soulignent I'avantage d'emprunter un modele numerique pour caracteriser la radiation solaire aux sites disponibles, afin d'aug‐menter les donnees observees. Neanmoins, cela ne represente pas pour les auteurs une solution complete du probleme. 11s demontrent que le caractere general des conditions meteorologiques synoptiques determine fortement la possibilite d'une extrapolation de la distribution de la radiation solaire, derivee des donnees mesurees et des modeles adoptes aux sites specifiques. Finalement, ils etablissent que certains problemes concernant les hypo‐theses d'homogeneite et d'isotropie imposent leur tour des limites a I'utilite de la methoded'extrapolation pour decrire la radiation solaire. Copyright © 1979, Wiley Blackwell. All rights reserved