Xinshuo Zhang

Title : The impact of air pollution on global solar radiation

Abstract:

Ground-received solar radiation is affected by several meteorological and air pollution factors. This study aimed to analyse the effects of air pollution characteristics on solar radiation. Meteorological data, air quality index (AQI) data, and data on the concentrations of six air pollutants (O₃, CO, SO₂, PM10, PM2.5, and NO₂) in nine cities in China were considered for analysis. A city model (model-C) based on the data of each city and a unified model (model-U) based on national data were established, and the key pollutants under these conditions were identified. Correlation analysis was performed between each pollutant and the daily global solar radiation. The correlation between O₃ and daily global solar radiation was the highest (r=0.575), while that between SO₂ and daily global solar radiation was the lowest. Further, AQI and solar radiation were negatively correlated, while some pollution components (e.g., O₃) were positively correlated with the daily global solar radiation. Different key pollutants affected the solar radiation in each city. In Shenyang and Guangzhou, the driving effect of particles on the daily global solar radiation was stronger than that of pollutants. However, there were no key pollutants that affect solar radiation in Shanghai. Furthermore, the prediction performance of model-U was not as good as that of model-C. The model-U showed a good performance for Urumqi (R²=0.803), while the difference between the two models was not particularly significant in other areas. This study This study reveals the impact of air pollution on solar radiation, and provides significant insights to improve the accuracy of regional solar radiation prediction and fill the gap regarding the absence of long-term solar radiation monitoring data in some areas.

 Audience  Take Away:
Helps to recognize the impact of air pollution.
Provide data support for the utilization of solar energy resources.
Provide reference for government personnel to control pollutants.

Biography:

Dr. Zhang Xinshuo studied architecture at the Chongqing University and graduated from Master of Engineering in 2020. Subsequently, she pursued a doctoral degree at the same university. She has published 5 research articles in the SCI (E) journal.