Modelado espacial del potencial de energía solar en México a partir de Modelo Digital de Elevaciones ASTGTM V3

Abstract

We present a high-resolution model of the total irradiation of the Mexican territory obtained through the ArcGIS "Solar Radiation toolset" module applied to a high-resolution digital elevation model (DEM) (30 x 30 m) obtained from the Terra Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission and Reflection Radiometer Version 3 (ASTGTM V3), which were processed to correct errors. The high resolution of the DEM significantly improves the results, particularly in steeper areas, which tend to be smoothed out in low resolution models. Direct Solar Radiation, Diffuse Solar Radiation and Global Solar Radiation in kilowatt hours per square meter (kWh/m$^2$) were obtained for each cell. The result is presented in twelve monthly maps and one annual map of the Global Solar Radiation of the national territory. The months with the greatest potential for solar irradiation correspond to spring and summer, with an absolute maximum for July. The comparison shows that our model has a better approximation to the real data than the models published by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) and The World Bank. The latter show an overestimation of solar potential due to their lower resolution, particularly in areas with steep topography.