Analyzing Cloud Optical Properties Using Sky Cameras
This work addresses the need for better cloud property data in solar energy generation and forecasting, though it appears incremental as it focuses on analysis and future directions rather than new methods or findings.
The paper tackles the problem of estimating Cloud Optical Thickness (COT) for solar energy applications by analyzing ground-based sky cameras as an alternative to low-resolution satellite images, but it does not report specific results or numbers.
Clouds play a significant role in the fluctuation of solar radiation received by the earth's surface. It is important to study the various cloud properties, as it impacts the total solar irradiance falling on the earth's surface. One of such important optical properties of the cloud is the Cloud Optical Thickness (COT). It is defined with the amount of light that can pass through the clouds. The COT values are generally obtained from satellite images. However, satellite images have a low temporal- and spatial- resolutions; and are not suitable for study in applications as solar energy generation and forecasting. Therefore, ground-based sky cameras are now getting popular in such fields. In this paper, we analyze the cloud optical thickness value, from the ground-based sky cameras, and provide future research directions.