Evaluation of temperature-based machine learning and empirical models for predicting daily global solar radiation

Accurate global solar radiation data are fundamental information for the allocation and design of solar energy systems. The current study compared different machine learning and empirical models for global solar radiation prediction only using air temperature as inputs. Four machine learning models, e.g., hybrid mind evolutionary algorithm and artificial neural network model, original artificial neural network, random forests and wavelet neural network, as well as four empirical temperature-based models (Hargreaves-Samani model, Bristow-Campbell model, Jahani model, and Fan model) were applied for prediction of daily global solar radiation in temperate continental regions of China. The results indicated the hybrid mind evolutionary algorithm and artificial neural network model provided better estimations, compared with the existing machine learning and empirical models. Thus, the temperature-based hybrid model is highly recommended to predict global solar radiation in temperate continental regions of China when only air temperature data are available. Combining the hybrid model with future air temperature forecasts, we can get the accurate information of future solar radiation, which is of great importance to management and operation of solar energy systems.