High resolution solar irradiance variability climatology dataset part 2: classifications, supplementary data, and statistics

Dataset paper

See the official dataset description paper (preprint) over at Earth System Science Data

Dataset description

High resolution surface solar irradiance series classification, cloud shadow and enhancement statistics, and satellite observations for studying intra-day surface solar irradiance variability.

Part 2 of 2

This dataset is the derived from the 1 Hz observational record of direct, diffuse, and global horizontal irradiance measured by the Baseline Surface Radiation Network station at Cabauw, the Netherlands. More information about the observational site Cabauw can be found at the Ruisdael Observatory website.

Methodology

An extensive dataset description is currently being written for Earth System Science Data. In the mean time, a more condensed description is available in preprint at Arxiv.

Processing scripts are published at this Zenodo release.

Dataset contents

This dataset contains daily time series with the following data, from 2011-02 until 2020-12-31:

Cloud shadow and cloud enhancement time series classifications (see methodology)

Overcast, clear-sky and variable time series classifications (see methodology)

CAMS McClear for clear-sky global horizontal irradiance (version 3.5)

CAMS McClear atmospheric composition input (aerosols, ozone, and total column water vapour)

Solar elevation and azimuth angles (calculated using PySolar)

Quality flags: non-official 1 Hz and official 1-minute (from BSRN at PANGAEA)

Cabauw observatory tower wind speed and direction

Additional satellite data time series from 2014-01 until 2016-12:

MSGCPP satellite data for an area over central Netherlands (CLAAS2 source)

Post processed timeseries of cloud types over Cabauw derived from this MSGCPP satellite data

A nubiscope + satellite derived validation dataset for overcast and clear-sky classifications

Statistics files:

Cloud shadow and cloud enhancement event detection and event statistics based on the time series for 2011-2020

Daily radiation statistics for 2011-2020

And finally, for all days there are quicklooks available that visualize the irradiance time series, classification, and if available satellite data.

Version History

New in v1.1

CAMS McClear updated from v3.1 to v3.5 (2011-2020)

Fix incorrect dominant cloud type in CLAAS2 timeseries (`claas2_processed.zip`, 2014-2016)

Update timeseries statistics and quicklooks with new clear-sky data (2011-2020)

Added official quality flags (2011-2020)

Added preprocessed validation dataset (2014-2016)

Added nubiscope to quicklooks (2014-2016)