Comparative Analysis of Ground-Based Solar Irradiance Measurements and Copernicus Satellite Observations

Abstract

Solar irradiance data provided by the Copernicus program are crucial for several scientific, environmental, and energy management applications, but their validation by means of ground-based measurements may be necessary, especially if daily and hourly data resolutions are required. The validation process not only ensures that reliable information is available for solar energy resource planning, power plant performance assessment, and grid integration, but also contributes to the improvement of the Copernicus system itself. Ground-based stations offer site-specific data, allowing for comprehensive assessments of the system’s performance. This work presents a comparative statistical analysis of solar irradiance data provided by the Copernicus system and ground-based measurements on a seasonal basis at three specific Italian reference sites, showing a maximum average relative error of less than 7% for hourly horizontal global irradiance in the irradiance range defined by the IEC 61724-2.