Estimation of the Solar Energy Potential of Kamchatka on the Example of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky

This paper presents the solar energy potential estimation for power supplying decentralized consumers in Kamchatka on the example of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky. Monthly global radiation for 2017 was used as the input data. An analysis was performed of the monthly global radiation dependence on the sunshine duration. Using an empirical model considering the midday solar altitude and sunshine duration, monthly summary energy for 2017 were estimated. Calculations revealed a discrepancy between the estimated and actual data within 30 %, both upward and downward. Annual sums of energy are projected with high reliability. The annual solar energy potential, estimated for two settlements in Kamchatka, is approximately 1,100 kW·h/m2. The period from March to September is favorable for the operation of photovoltaic modules. It has been established that to obtain more reliable global solar radiation data in Kamchatka, it is necessary to develop empirical models that considering additional climatic data, such as cloudiness, humidity, and temperature. Calibrating of the empirical models requires high-resolution actinometric data (at least 1 hour).