An interpretable framework for modeling global solar radiation using tree-based ensemble machine learning and Shapley additive explanations methods

Machine learning techniques provide an effective and cost-efficient solution for estimating solar radiation for solar energy utilization. However, the reported machine learning-based solar radiation models fail to offer comprehensive explanations for their outputs. Therefore, this study aims to tackle this issue by developing machine learning models that are both accurate and interpretable. To achieve the objective, this study evaluated the performance of tree-based ensemble algorithms, using optimized combinations of model input parameters for different climate zones in China. The results showed that the extreme gradient boosting (XGBoost) models demonstrated the highest overall accuracy, model stability, and generalization ability. At the national scale, the developed XGBoost models yielded an average R2, MAE, and RMSE of 0.939, 1.226 MJ/m2, and 1.663 MJ/m2, respectively, showing significant improvements of 2.13–27.78% in RMSE compared to recently reported models. Most importantly, the state-of-the-art SHapley Additive exPlanations (SHAP) technique was integrated with the developed XGBoost models to enhance model interpretability in terms of global and local feature importance, as well as the interaction effects between model features. The results of the SHAP value analysis demonstrated the robustness of sunshine duration in modeling global solar radiation, revealing thresholds where its values undergo a shift from negative to positive effects on model output. SHAP interaction values illustrated the interaction effects among features in the developed solar radiation model, uncovering the model's complex non-linear relationships. Additionally, this study provided explanations for individual instances based on the SHAP method. Overall, this study provided an accurate, reliable, and transparent machine learning model and an enlightening framework for modeling global solar radiation at sites without observations.