Microclimatic Variations in Solar Radiation Near Austin, Texas

摘要

When the study began (September 1984), the City of Austin (Texas) had plans to install a 300-kW photovoltaic power unit as part of its power generation system. The city was interested in a number of factors that might affect the performance of the new unit, one of these being its location. Since then, the photovolatic system has been installed and put into operation. Because Austin lies along the Balcones Escarpment, which is known to cause major weather effects in the region, the city funded a project to monitor solar radiation at five sites within an approximate 30-mile radius of the city. The monitoring study extended over a one-year period, January 1985 through January 1986.