RadEst

The RadEst program allows evaluating daily global solar radiation values for a location at a given latitude, and it allows estimating daily values. Four models are available to estimate daily radiation from air temperature data; they include and are all derived from the model proposed by Bristow and Campbell. All the models estimate atmospheric transmissivity of global solar radiation based on the difference between maximum and minimum temperature. The estimated value of radiation is calculated as the product of the estimated transmissivity times the value of potential radiation outside the earth atmosphere. Utilities allow a graphical evaluation of the estimates and compute statistical indices for model/location comparison. For each model, parameters can be fitted using iterative procedures either minimizing the amount or the pattern of residuals. One year or more than one year (at most twenty) of daily data can be used to estimate one parameter for each model. Estimated values can be saved as ASCII files. Trends over years in measured data can be evaluated graphically. Constant bias in measured radiation data can be evaluated and corrected, saving the corrected files. Version 3 includes a new model specifically developed for tropical sites. Also, it includes a modular model which allows including/excluding different components from the three models implemented. A sample data set of tropical and temperate sites is provided. A parameter file for tested locations is also provided. Reporting capabilities allow browsing and printing the analysis performed; reports can be saved and exported in a variety of formats, including MS Excel and HTML. Estimates of potential evapotranspiration are made and saved with either the Penman-Monteith or the Priestley-Taylor method, using both the measured and the estimated radiation data. A batch run utility allows processing easily a large number of files.

Download the software

Download the manual

(35.1 Mb, 22 JAN 2002)

This message is to alert you that we found a bug in the code. Specifically, the automatic optimization of the Tnc parameter of the C-D model offers unpredictable results, often estimating a value higher than the optimum. Some manual iterations in the “validation” menu may result in better results than using the optimized value. We do not know at this stage when we will able to release the new version, which will also include the possibility of entering the aspect (via slope and angle) of the surface, and which will be usable as DLL in custom made applications. In the mean time, if you use the C-D model, you will need to iterate manually to optimize the value of the Tnc parameter.

DOWNLOAD RADIATION PARAMETERS RadEst models have been parameterized via optimization procedures over multi-year data sets from a number of locations worldwide. Parameter values for each location are available for downloading.

visitor no.

References

Bellocchi G., Acutis M., Fila G., Donatelli M., 2002. An indicator of solar radiation model performance based on a fuzzy expert system. Agron. J., 94, 1222-1233. (draft)

Bellocchi G., Donatelli M., Acutis M., Fila G., 2001. An indicator of solar radiation model performance based on fuzzy rules. Proc. 2^nd Int. Symposium Modelling Cropping Systems, 16-18 July, Florence, Italy, 49-50. (poster)

Donatelli M., Bellocchi G., 2000. New methods to estimate global solar radiation. 3^rd Int. Crop Science Conference, 17-22 August, Hamburg, Germany, 186. (poster)

Donatelli M., Bellocchi G., 2000. RadEst3: Software to estimate global solar radiation. 3^rd Int. Crop Science Conference, 17-22 August, Hamburg, Germany, 186. (poster)

Donatelli M., Bellocchi G., 2001. RadEst3.00: software per la stima della radiazione solare globale. Atti del workshop nazionale in agrometeorologia, AIAM 2001, 24 maggio, Milano, Italy, 33-43. (paper)

Donatelli M., Bellocchi G., 2001. Estimate of daily global solar radiation: new developments in the software RadEst3.00. Proc. 2^nd Int. Symposium Modelling Cropping Systems, 16-18 July, Florence, Italy, 213-214. (poster)

Donatelli M., Bellocchi G., Fontana F., 2003. RadEst3.00: Software to estimate daily radiation data from commonly available meteorological variables. Eur. J. Agron., 18, 363-367. (paper)

Donatelli M., Campbell G.S., 1999. RadEst, a program to estimate global solar radiation. 1^st Int. Symposium Modelling Cropping Systems, 21-23 July, Lleida, Italy, 289-290.

Ferrari F., Trevisan M., Capri E., 2003. Predicting and measuring environmental concentration of pesticides in air after soil application. J. Environ. Qual., 32, 1623-1633. (paper)

Giraldo L.M., Lizcano L-J-, Gijsman A.J., Rivera B., Franco L.H., 1998. Adaptación del modelo DSSAT para simular la producción de Brachiaria decumbens. Pasturas tropicales, 20, 2-10.

Lyon D.J., Hammer G.L., McLean G.B., Blumenthal J.M., 2003. Simulation supplements field studies to determine no-till dryland corn population recommendations for semiarid Western Nebraska. Agron. J., 95, 884-891. (paper)

Mavromatis T., Jagtap S.S., Jones J.W., 2002. El Niño-Southern Oscillation effects on peanut yield and nitrogen leaching. Climate Res., 22, 129-140. (draft)

Miao Z., Padovani L., Riparbelli C., Ritter A.M., Trevisan M., Capri E., 2003. Prediction of the environmental concentration of pesticide in paddy field and surrounding surface water bodies. Paddy Water Environ., 1, 121-132. (paper)

Pammolli A., Marletto V., 2005. Radiazione solare globale giornaliera: correzione dei dati achiviati e stima dei dati mancanti per la stazione agro-meteorologica di San Pietro Capofiume (BO). Riv. Ital. Meteorol. 2, 45-49. (abstract)

Rivington M., Bellocchi G., Matthews K.B., Buchan K., 2005. A detailed evaluation of methods to estimate solar radiation data for use in simulation models and experimental analysis. Agric. Forest Meteorol., 135, 228-243. (paper)

Rivington M., Matthews K.B. , Buchan K., 2002. A comparison of methods for providing solar radiation data to crop models and decision support systems. 1^st biennial meeting of the International Environmental Modelling and Software Society, 24-27 June, Lugano, Switzerland, 3, 193-198. (paper)

Webb S.W., Phelan J.M., 2003. Implementation of land surface boundary conditions in THOUGH2. Proc. TOUGH Symposium 2003, 12-14 May, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA, USA. (paper)