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Sciences in Cold and Arid Regions ›› 2022, Vol. 14 ›› Issue (1): 68-78.doi: 10.3724/SP.J.1226.2022.21015.

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Spatial and temporal patterns of solar radiation in China from 1957 to 2016

PeiDu Li1,2,XiaoQing Gao1(),JunXia Jiang1,2,LiWei Yang1,YuJie Li1,2   

  1. 1.Key Laboratory of Land Surface Process and Climate Change in Cold and Arid Regions, Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou, Gansu 730000, China
    2.University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
  • Received:2021-03-10 Accepted:2021-06-11 Online:2022-02-28 Published:2022-03-03
  • Contact: XiaoQing Gao E-mail:xqgao@lzb.ac.cn

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Abstract:

Solar energy is clean and renewable energy that plays an important role in mitigating impacts of environmental problems and climate change. Solar radiation received on the earth's surface determines the efficiency of power generation and the location and layout of photovoltaic arrays. In this paper, the average daily solar radiation of 77 stations in China from 1957 to 2016 was analyzed in terms of spatial and temporal characteristics. The results indicate that Xinjiang, the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, North, Central and East China show a decreasing trend with an average of 2.54×10-3 MJ/(m2?10a), while Northwest and Northeast China are basically stabilized, and Southwest China shows a clear increasing trend with an average increase of 1.79×10-3 MJ/(m2?10a). The average daily solar radiation in summer and winter in China from 1957 to 2016 was 18.74 MJ/m2 and 9.09 MJ/m2, respectively. Except for spring in Northwest, East and South China, and summer in northeast China, the average daily solar radiation in all other regions show a downward trend. A critical point for the change is 1983 in the average daily solar radiation. Meanwhile, large-scale (25-30 years) oscillation changes are more obvious, while small-scale (5-10 years) changes are stable and have a global scope. The average daily solar radiation shows an increasing-decreasing gradient from west to east, which can be divided into three areas west of 80°E, 80°E-100°E and east of 100°E. The average daily solar radiation was 2.07 MJ/m2 in the 1980s, and that in 1990s lower than that in the 1960s and the 1970s. The average daily solar radiation has rebounded in the 21st century, but overall it is still lower than the average daily solar radiation from 1957 to 2016 (13.87 MJ/m2).

Key words: average daily solar radiation, temporal variability, spatial distribution characteristics, China

Figure 1

Average daily solar radiation changes (a, Xinjiang; b, Qinghai-Tibet Plateau; c, Northwest China; d, Southwest China; e, Northeast China; f, North China; g, Central China; h, East China; i, South China) in China during 1957-2016"

Figure 2

Accumulative anomaly curve of daily average solar radiation (a, Xinjiang; b, Qinghai-Tibet Plateau; c, Northwest China; d, Southwest China; e, Northeast China; f, North China; g, Central China; h, East China; i, South China) in China during 1957-2016"

Table 1

Statistics on seasonal characteristic value of average daily radiation in China during 1957-2016"

RegionSeasonMaximum (MJ/m2)Minimum (MJ/m2)Range (MJ/m2)Average (MJ/m2)Z value
XinjiangSpring19.9216.153.7718.30-1.43
Summer24.3520.953.4022.60-2.83
Autumn14.7610.873.8912.58-5.89
Winter9.676.443.227.76-5.98
Qinghai-Tibet PlateauSpring22.5216.166.3620.39-4.53
Summer24.0617.296.7721.59-3.27
Autumn18.6613.485.1816.05-2.70
Winter14.6510.344.3013.10-3.84
Northwest ChinaSpring21.2216.354.8718.741.78
Summer23.5318.834.7021.34-0.75
Autumn15.7011.194.5012.93-0.75
Winter11.448.872.589.74-1.09
Southwest ChinaSpring18.7312.915.8215.191.83
Summer17.3312.215.1214.840.85
Autumn14.068.925.1311.261.41
Winter13.508.155.3410.362.03
Northeast ChinaSpring18.2315.023.2116.68-1.63
Summer20.2315.394.8317.721.21
Autumn12.129.612.5010.56-2.73
Winter8.366.112.257.24-4.02
North ChinaSpring20.7016.923.7818.64-1.82
Summer22.7317.834.9119.90-2.60
Autumn14.3210.723.6012.14-3.85
Winter11.127.783.338.88-4.96
Central ChinaSpring16.0710.365.7113.21-2.37
Summer20.1714.056.1217.28-5.82
Autumn13.669.244.4211.21-4.70
Winter11.335.076.287.65-5.02
East ChinaSpring16.9811.895.0914.620.56
Summer20.2113.416.8016.67-4.19
Autumn13.219.174.0311.14-2.32
Winter11.395.725.668.05-2.68
South ChinaSpring15.068.736.3412.191.75
Summer18.9514.634.3216.75-0.09
Autumn16.2610.925.3213.45-0.09
Winter12.236.255.989.030.46

Figure 3

Daily average solar radiation of the real part of the wavelet contour map (a, Xinjiang; b, Qinghai-Tibet Plateau; c, Northwest China; d, Southwest China; e, Northeast China; f, North China; g, Central China; h, East China; i, South China) in China"

Figure 4

Wavelet variance diagram of daily average solar radiation in China"

Figure 5

The spatial distribution characteristics of daily average solar radiation in China from 1957 to 2016 [GS(2019)1822] (a, 1960s; b, 1970s; c, 1980s; d, 1990s; e, 2000s; f, 1957-2016)"

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