Estimation and Comparison of Diffuse Solar Radiation over Iraq

Abstract

Using sunshine duration, extraterrestrial radiation and global radiation are used as input parameters in four mathematical models. The daily average diffuse solar radiation in various (16) locations in Iraq have been estimated by using a thirty years solar radiation data within the period from (1961 – 1991). These locations had chosen randomly to cover the most geographic regions of Iraq. The maximum values of diffuse solar radiation are appeared in the summer season which is in range (2 - 9 MJ. m -2 day -1) for (4 models), while the minimum values for solar radiation were in months January and December . These four models are compared between them to estimate the diffuse radiation values for different studied locations over Iraq.