Summary
The application of renewable power systems is particularly relevant to remote locations such as Antarctic stations, where traditional fossil fuel based systems incur relatively high costs of fuel transportation, in conjunction with an increased risk of environmental damage. Traditionally the potential for solar power systems at high latitudes has been viewed as low and thus neglected. However, recent pilot projects at the Australian Antarctic station at Davis (68° 34 S, 77° 58 E) have demonstrated the capabilities of both Photovoltaic and solar hot water systems. A solar energy model, SEMAS (Solar Energy Modelling for Antarctic Stations), is currently being developed by Latitude Technologies Pty. Ltd., in collaboration with the Australian Antarctic Division, to assess the potential for various types of solar power systems. Integrating environmental and operational data collected from the stations with standard meteorological data recorded by the Australian Bureau of Meteorology, SEMAS determines the available solar energy at a site and facilitates the design of potential solar energy systems. This paper introduces the basic framework of the SEMAS model and presents preliminary estimates of annual solar potential for Australian National Antarctic Research Expedition (A.N.A.R.E.) stations. Future development of the SEMAS model are discussed.