National Solar Radiation Data Base User's Manual (1961-1990)
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Appendix B: Station Notes

Appendix C
30-Year Summary of Quality Flags

Appendix C provides a 30-year summary of hourly solar radiation quality flags for each of the 56 Primary stations (see Table C-1) and for a representative sample of Secondary stations (see Table C-2). These summaries can be used to identify stations with the most measured data and to determine the percentages of the data that fall into the various uncertainty ranges. Tables 3-6 and 3-7 are duplicated here as Tables C-3 and C-4 for ready identification of the source and uncertainty flags.

Because Secondary stations have no measured data, the source and uncertainty flags for all 183 stations are quite similar. Therefore, summary quality statistics are included for only five Secondary stations. The stations selected are quite representative of all 183 stations. It is likely that the large uncertainties for solar radiation data for Wilkes-Barre, Penn. are due at least in part to the large uncertainty for aerosol optical depths (50%) for this region. On the other hand, the low uncertainty for aerosol optical depths (10%) for the central valley of California is likely related to the small uncertainties for the solar radiation data for Bakersfield, Calif. Many factors, of course, contribute to the uncertainties for these and all other stations.

Stations appear in the order of their WBAN numbers. Table 1-2 in Part 1 can be used to find the WBAN numbers of individual Primary stations.

Appendix D: Key to the Present Weather Elements

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