Solar irradiance intensity estimation apparatus, solar irradiance intensity estimation system, and solar irradiance intensity estimation method

1. A solar irradiance intensity estimation apparatus, comprising:

processing circuitry configured to

generate estimation models of solar irradiance intensities at a plurality of observation points based on cloud state data, and based on solar irradiance intensities measured at the plurality of observation points;

generate an estimation model of a solar irradiance intensity at a target point, different from the plurality of observation points, based on the estimation models of solar irradiance intensities at the plurality of observation points, wherein a solar irradiance intensity was not measured at the target point;

estimate a solar irradiance intensity at the target point based on a reflection intensity at the target point obtained from the cloud state data and the generated estimation model of a solar irradiance intensity at the target point;

store the cloud state data, which is measured by a cloud observation sensor;

store environment information including at least one of an amount of water vapor in the atmosphere, quantities of particles in the atmosphere, a ground surface reflection coefficient, and a sunlight intensity outside the atmosphere,

acquire a correspondence relationship between a reflection intensity of sunlight at each point obtained from a satellite image and an optical depth indicating a rate of sunlight reaching a ground;

acquire a corrected optical depth obtained by correcting the optical depth;

acquire a correspondence relationship between the corrected optical depth and solar irradiance intensity;

acquire the optical depth corresponding to a reflection intensity of sunlight at each observation point, obtained from the satellite image, then, acquire the corrected optical depth, obtained by correcting the acquired optical depth, and then, acquire, at each observation point, the solar irradiance intensity corresponding to the acquired corrected optical depth; and

store the acquired solar irradiance intensity at each of the plurality of observation points,

wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to generate the estimation models of the solar irradiance intensities at the plurality of observation points based on the stored cloud state data, the stored solar irradiance intensities, and the stored environmental information.

2. The solar irradiance intensity estimation apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to:

calculate the solar irradiance intensity at each observation point based on the cloud state data, the environment information, and a preset estimation model; and

correct the preset estimation model such that the calculated solar irradiance intensity matches the solar irradiance intensity measured at each observation point.

3. The solar irradiance intensity estimation apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein

the environmental information stored by the processing circuitry includes at least one of information on an atmospheric state at the observation point and position information of the observation point.

4. The solar irradiance intensity estimation apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein

the cloud state data includes reflection intensities of sunlight reflected by a cloud, at the plurality of observation points and the target point obtained from a satellite image, and

the processing circuitry is further configured to generate the estimation models of solar irradiance intensities at the plurality of observation points based on the reflection intensities at the plurality of observation points and the solar radiation intensities measured at the plurality of observation points.

5. The solar irradiance intensity estimation apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to

generate the estimation models of solar irradiance intensities at the plurality of observation points based on the cloud state data measured by a cloud observation sensor and the solar irradiance intensities at the plurality of observation points measured by a solar irradiance intensity observation sensor, and

supply the estimated solar irradiance intensity at the target point to a solar irradiance intensity application apparatus.

6. The solar irradiance intensity estimation apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to

extract a characteristic indicating a weather condition at the target point and t each of the plurality of observation points, and

generate the estimation model of the solar irradiance intensity at the target point based on the estimation models of solar irradiance intensities at the plurality of observation points and the extracted characteristic.

7. The solar irradiance intensity estimation apparatus according to claim 6 , wherein

the processing circuitry is further configured to extract a cloud shape as the characteristic at each of the plurality of observation points and g the target point.

8. A solar irradiance intensity estimation system, comprising:

a cloud observation sensor that measures cloud state data;

a solar irradiance intensity observation sensor that measures solar radiation intensities at a plurality of observation points in a target region; and

processing circuitry configured to

generate estimation models of solar irradiance intensities at the plurality of observation points based on the measured cloud state data and the solar irradiance intensities measured at the plurality of observation points;

generate an estimation model of a solar irradiance intensity at a target point, different from the plurality of observation points, based on the estimation models of solar irradiance intensities at the plurality of observation points, wherein a solar irradiance intensity was not measured at the target point;

estimate the solar irradiance intensity at the target point based on a reflection intensity at the target point obtained from the cloud state data and the generated estimation model of a solar irradiance intensity at the target point;

store the cloud state data measured by the cloud observation sensor;

store environment information including at least one of an amount of water vapor in the atmosphere, quantities of particles in the atmosphere, a ground surface reflection coefficient, and a sunlight intensity outside the atmosphere;

acquire a correspondence relationship between a reflection intensity of sunlight at each point obtained from a satellite image and an optical depth indicating a rate of sunlight reaching a ground;

acquire a corrected optical depth obtained by correcting the optical depth;

acquire a correspondence relationship between the corrected optical depth and a solar irradiance intensity; and

acquire the optical depth corresponding to a reflection intensity of sunlight at each observation point, obtained from the satellite image, then, acquire the corrected optical depth, obtained by correcting the acquired optical depth, and then, acquire, at each observation point, the solar irradiance intensity corresponding to the acquired corrected optical depth; and

store the acquired solar irradiance intensity at each of the plurality of observation points,

wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to generate the estimation models of the solar irradiance intensities at the plurality of observation points based on the stored cloud state data, the stored solar irradiance intensities, and the stored environmental information.

9. A solar irradiance intensity estimation method comprising:

generating estimation models of solar irradiance intensities at a plurality of observation points based on cloud state data, and based on solar irradiance intensities measured at the plurality of observation points;

generating an estimation model of a solar irradiance intensity at a target point, different from the plurality of observation points, based on the estimation models of solar irradiance intensities at the plurality of observation points, wherein a solar irradiance intensity was not measured at the target point; and

estimating a solar irradiance intensity at the target point based on a reflection intensity at the target point obtained from the cloud state data and the generated estimation model at the target point;

storing the cloud state data, which is measured by a cloud observation sensor;

storing environment information including at least one of an amount of water vapor in the atmosphere, quantities of particles in the atmosphere, a ground surface reflection coefficient, and a sunlight intensity outside the atmosphere,

acquiring a correspondence relationship between a reflection intensity of sunlight at each point obtained from a satellite image and an optical depth indicating a rate of sunlight reaching a ground;

acquiring a corrected optical depth obtained by correcting the optical depth;

acquiring a correspondence relationship between the corrected optical depth and a solar irradiance intensity; and

acquiring the optical depth corresponding to a reflection intensity of sunlight at each observation point, obtained from the satellite image, then, acquiring the corrected optical depth, obtained by correcting the acquired optical depth, and then, acquiring, at each observation point, the solar irradiance intensity corresponding to the acquired corrected optical depth; and

storing the acquired solar irradiance intensity at each of the plurality of observation points,

wherein the step of generating the estimation models comprises generating the estimation models of the solar irradiance intensities at the plurality of observation points based on the stored cloud state data, the stored solar irradiance intensities, and the stored environmental information.

10. The solar irradiance intensity estimation method according to claim 9 , wherein the generating of the estimation model comprises:

calculating the solar irradiance intensity at each observation point based on the cloud state data, the environment information, and a preset estimation model; and

correcting the preset estimation model such that the calculated solar irradiance intensity matches the solar irradiance intensity observed at each observation point.

11. The solar irradiance intensity estimation method according to claim 9 , wherein the environmental information includes at least one of information on an atmospheric state at each observation point and position information of each observation point.

12. The solar irradiance intensity estimation method according to claim 9 , wherein

the cloud state data includes reflection intensities of sunlight reflected by a cloud, at the plurality of observation points and the target point obtained from a satellite image, and

the generating of the estimation model includes generating the estimation models of solar irradiance intensities at the plurality of observation points based on the reflection intensities at the plurality of observation points and the solar irradiance intensities measured at the plurality of observation points.

13. The solar irradiance intensity estimation method according to claim 9 , wherein

the generating of the estimation model includes generating the estimation models of solar irradiance intensities at the plurality of observation points based on the cloud state data and the solar irradiance intensities at the observed plurality of observation points, and

the estimating of the solar irradiance intensity includes supplying the estimated solar irradiance intensity at the target point to a solar irradiance intensity application unit.

14. The solar irradiance intensity estimation method according to claim 9 , further comprising

extracting a characteristic indicating a weather condition at the target point and a each of the plurality of observation points,

wherein the estimation model of a solar irradiance intensity at the target point is generated based on the estimation models of solar irradiance intensities at the plurality of observation points and the extracted characteristic.

15. The solar irradiance intensity estimation method according to claim 14 , wherein

the extracting of the characteristic includes extracting a cloud shape at each of the plurality of observation points and at the target point.