Introducing GRADRAD: The greater Durban radiometric network

A new solar radiation network is proposed for the city of Durban, South Africa. This initiative aims to develop a local radiometric database that includes a number of broadband ground stations in KwaZulu-Natal. Currently, the network comprises three ground stations located within the metropolitan boundaries of Durban. Stations will use similar thermopile instruments and a common software format to facilitate comparison of data. High quality global, direct and diffuse irradiance measurements will be collected by sampling at 6-s intervals and averaging over a 1-min period. The data will be processed and made available to the global research community on a dedicated website. Future aims of this project are to add further ground stations covering the eastern province of KwaZulu-Natal, and eventually to expand the network beyond provincial boundaries to include South Africa as a whole.