Prediction of Bright Sunshine Duration and Solar Radiation over Sudan Using Simple Empirical Equations

This study was set to investigate the possibility of prediction of bright sun shine duration over Sudan using simple equations. Bright sunshine duration data was collected for three periods ; a pre 1963 period data set for 14 stations, a data set for 18 stations for the period 1961-1990 and also a data set for 18 stations for the period 1971-2000. In addition, a data set of solar radiation for 16 stations was obtained for the period 1951-1980.The ultimate source of the data was the Sudan Meteorological Authority. The data was analyzed for correlations between BSD and SR on one hand and the stations coordinates on the other hand using linear regression. The results showed that annual bright sunshine duration and to some extent annual solar radiation can be predicted for various geographical locations using simple empirical equations in the absence of better alternatives.

Keywords: Prediction, sun shine duration, solar radiation, coordinates, Sudan