RED DE MONITOREO DE LA IRRADIANCIA SOLAR UV-TOTAL EN ARGENTINA“SAVER-NET”

Abstract

Simultaneous localized solar radiation monitoring in different broadband spectral ranges has several important advantages over isolated measurements for both basic and applied research. Its integration into a network under standardized protocols has, in turn, worthy benefits including the possibility to characterize geographically the solar radiation levels in large regions. Recently, an integrated UV-Total solar irradiance monitoring network has been deployed in Argentina in 8 stations with new instruments, measurement sites, and protocols into the frame of the Saver-Net project (Japan, Argentina, and Chile) carried out during the period 2013-2018. The network is managed by the Argentine Servicio Meteorol´ogico Nacional (SMN) and Instituto de Investigaciones Cient´ıficas y T´ecnicas para la Defensa (CITEDEF -UNIDEF). In this paper, the structure, capability and several initial achievements of the Argentine UV-Total solar irradiance monitoring network are described with the aim to make these databases available to the scientific community for their broad use in basic and applied research. In addition, the irradiance characterization at each monitoring node of the network is presented. Extreme values over 1000 Wm − 2 of Total solar irradiance, 60 Wm − 2 of UVA solar irradiance and UV Index of 9 are registered even in the southernmost stations, with their consequent signification for the practical applications of the solar energy and health implications such as the risk to cause erythema.