An observation of cooling tower plume effects on total solar radiation

Abstract

Measurements of total solar radiation were made on 7 March 1977. The sky was cloudless but a cooling tower plume occasionally came between the sun and the pyranometer that was used. These measurements resulted in values that were greater than those expected with a cloudless sky. It is likely that reflections from the plume, whose average position was slightly north of an imaginary sun-pyranometer line, were responsible.