Multiscale Co-Oscillation Analysis of Solar Radiation and Air Temperature Using Continuous Wavelet Transform: A Case Study of a Tropical Humid Region, Dangbo, Bénin

Abstract

The use of solar energy is today widely recognized for the green transition but also for addressing societal challenges associated with the rise in global surface temperature. The design of a photovoltaic solar panel field may require an understanding of how solar radiation oscillates with other variables or factors since multiple interactions occur during its transfer within the atmosphere. In this study, three years of the incoming shortwave radiation (SWin) and air temperature (Tair) data acquired within the “Institut de Mathématiques et de Sciences Physiques” were analyzed using the continuous wavelet transform to extract the inherent variability of these signals. The underlying characteristics meaning the timescale of these variabilities as well as the lead-lag relationship between SWin and Tair were also examined. With the wavelet power spectrum, the highest variability was evidenced at the 2 - 8 band period for the SWin, coinciding almost with that of Tair. This suggests that these two signals are well interconnected at this temporal scale. The results obtained with the phase ( ∅ x y ) difference analysis, reveal that SWin leads Tair by ~ 23.5˚ on average when (0 < ∅ x y < π/2) whereas when (−π/2 < ∅ x y < 0), Tair leads SWin. They demonstrate at least that at the short time scale ( i.e ., periods ≤ 32 days), Tair increases with an increasing SWin since the lags between these two signals range between 0.09 - 2.30 days. However, when looking at their interdependence at a larger temporal scale (> 32 days), Tair lags SWin. An increase in SWin might not directly imply an increase in Tair. Overall, these findings give insight into complex relationships across scales between the incoming shortwave radiation and air temperature in a tropical humid region of Bénin.