Leveraging the satellite-based climate data record CLARA-A3 to understand the climatic trend regimes relevant for solar energy applications over Europe

Devasthale, Abhay; Andersson, Sandra; Engström, Erik; Kaspar, Frank; Trentmann, Jörg; Duguay-Tetzlaff, Anke; Meirink, Jan Fokke; Kjellström, Erik; Landelius, Tomas; Thomas, Manu Anna; Karlsson, Karl-Göran

doi:https://doi.org/10.5194/esd-16-1169-2025

Articles | Volume 16, issue 4

https://doi.org/10.5194/esd-16-1169-2025

© Author(s) 2025. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.

https://doi.org/10.5194/esd-16-1169-2025

© Author(s) 2025. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.

Articles | Volume 16, issue 4

Research article

| Highlight paper

|

21 Jul 2025

Research article | Highlight paper |

| 21 Jul 2025

Leveraging the satellite-based climate data record CLARA-A3 to understand the climatic trend regimes relevant for solar energy applications over Europe

Abhay Devasthale, Sandra Andersson, Erik Engström, Frank Kaspar, Jörg Trentmann, Anke Duguay-Tetzlaff, Jan Fokke Meirink, Erik Kjellström, Tomas Landelius, Manu Anna Thomas, and Karl-Göran Karlsson

Data sets

CLARA-A3: CM SAF cLoud, Albedo and surface RAdiation dataset from AVHRR data - Edition 3 K.-G. Karlsson et al. https://doi.org/10.5676/EUM_SAF_CM/CLARA_AVHRR/V003

ERA5 monthly averaged data on single levels from 1940 to present H. Hersbach et al. https://doi.org/10.24381/cds.f17050d7

Upgrade of SMHI's meteorological radiation network 2006-2007 - Effects on direct and global solar radiation (https://www.smhi.se/data/meteorologi/stralning) T. Carlund https://www.smhi.se/publikationer/upgrade-of-smhi-s-meteorological-radiation-network-2006-2007-effects-on-direct-and-global-solar-radiation-1.19033

Chief editor

This paper provides novel results on solar radiation and solar energy conditions over Europe. It shows, for example, increasing trends in surface incoming solar radiation over large parts of Europe in spring/summer, and elucidates how these trends are driven by changes in cloudiness. The results provide valuable metrics for both the evaluation of climate models that have a dynamically integrated solar energy component and for long-term planning of solar-based renewable energy systems.