This award will enable Dr. Richard R. Perez, State University of New York at Albany, to collaborate with Dr. Pierre Ineichen, University of Geneva, Switzerland, on solar radiation modeling. They will try to improve and validate methods, developed by them, for modeling the sky diffuse and ground reflected irradiance received by tilted surfaces. Additionally, they will model the relationships between visible and total components of solar radiation reaching the earth's surface. Model validations require large data sets covering a broad climatic range. The researchers will share their information from different locations, and will investigate the effects of environmental factors, such as local aerosol contents, on the models' configurations and performance. The collaboration will extend the scope of both investigators' research, and will allow them to formulate needed recommendations for measurement and modeling techniques. Improving irradiance and illumination efficiency models and gaining an increased understanding of ground-reflected radiation are important to the international building, energy, and lighting research communities. The project brings together and significantly enhances complementary domestic research projects of the American and Swiss investigators.
