Survey of the incident solar radiation in Brazil by use of meteosat satellite data

Meteosat-2 satellite data in the visible band were used to calculate monthly averages from daily mean incident solar radiation over Brazil, using the IGMK physical model for the period 1985–1986. Satellite estimates are compared with ground data from 22 national stations. The global root mean square error between model and ground results for all data points was 13%, and the mean bias error was 1.23 MJ m⁻². About 68% of the individual errors were below 10% and clustered around 8%. Global radiation estimated by the model ranged from 9.0 to 27 MJ m⁻² with the diffuse to global ratio falling into the 0.2–0.5 interval. Enhanced inverted zonal trends were found for both satellite predictions and the ground station results.