| Issue |
E3S Web Conf.
Volume 712, 2026
2026 16th International Conference on Future Environment and Energy (ICFEE 2026)
|
|
|---|---|---|
| Article Number | 02003 | |
| Number of page(s) | 8 | |
| Section | Air Quality and Atmospheric Pollutant Characterization | |
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.1051/e3sconf/202671202003 | |
| Published online | 19 May 2026 | |
Technical assessment of the Association Between Air Quality Index and Solar Irradiance in El Progreso, Yoro, Honduras
Faculty of Engineering, Universidad Tecnológica Centroamericana, (UNITEC), Honduras
* Corresponding author: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Abstract
Honduras, located in a tropical zone with high solar exposure, has excellent potential for photovoltaic energy. However, atmospheric pollutants such as PM2.5 and PM10 can diminish solar irradiance through scattering and absorption. This study investigates the relationship between the Air Quality Index (AQI) and solar irradiance in El Progreso, Yoro, over 60-day period. Data were collected using a pyranometer and an air quality sensor, and analysed using Python with correlation (Pearson, Spearman, Kendall) and regression models (linear and polynomial). Under clear weather conditions, a weak but significant correlation was observed (Pearson = 0.195, R² = 0.038), while temperature showed a moderate correlation (R = 0.60) and humidity a strong negative one (R = –0.68). The results demonstrate how air quality influences solar energy performance and offer insights to improve PV system design and urban energy planning in tropical environments.
© The Authors, published by EDP Sciences, 2026
This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License 4.0, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
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