  The atmospheric aerosol loading may significantly influence the performance
in solar power production. The impact can be very different both in space (even
in short distance) and time (shortterm fluctuations as well as long-term
trend). Aiming to ensure a high degree of generality, this study is focused on
the aerosol impact on the collectable solar energy. Thus, the results are
independent of solar plants characteristics. A new methodology for estimating
the average daily,monthly, and yearly losses in the solar potential due to
aerosols is proposed. For highlighting the loss in the overall solar potential,
a new ideal scenario is defined as a reference for the atmospheric aerosol
background. A new equation for computing the solar potential loss is proposed
to adjust for possible biases. In a departure from similar studies, the
analysis relies on ground measurements (BSRN and AERONET), always more accurate
than remotely sensed satellite data. The seldom discussed impact of aerosol
type is considered. As a general conclusion, the monthly and yearly reductions
of the solar potential due to aerosols are estimated at 12 locations spread
around the globe, amounting to losses of the solar potential ranging from 0.6%
to as high as 7.2%.
