Vertical aerosol concentrations in the lowest 300m of the troposphere for solar tower plants assessment from CALIPSO satellite and ECMWF-MACC data

Abstract

One of the essential meteorological variables to consider in the CSP plants projection is the Aerosol Optical Depth. Its value within the layer spanned between the surface and about the next 300m could be particularly critical for Solar Tower technology due to the attenuation through the slant path. The data here presented come from the comparison of CALIPSO satellite and MACC model regarding aerosols in both the lowest 300m layer and the total column in a nearly geographical domain along with a collection of the most challenging issues faced by both approaches. A brief summary of the State of the Art complements the tools to interpret the data and might be a starting point for future improvements.