Spectral Characteristics of Solar Radiation in Timisoara, Romania

Abstract This study deals with the spectral distribution of solar radiation in Timisoara, Romania. Solar spectrum at the ground level was estimated based on Leckner’s spectral solar irradiance model and measured atmospheric parameters over the years 2019-2020. The average photon energy index (APE) was used to capture the characteristic signature of the solar radiation spectrum. The results emphasize considerable differences between the solar radiation spectrum in Timisoara and the standard AM1.5G spectrum. During 2019-2020, APE has taken values between 1.841 eV and 1.929 eV, indicating both red- and blue-shift from the standard AM1.5G spectrum. To our best knowledge this is the first study which discusses the signature of solar radiation spectrum in terms of APE for a location in Romania.