For the estimation of daily solar radiation from sunshine duration, observation data of Yinchuan station in Ningxia, China was used. Using a linear relationship between solar radiation and extraterrestrial radiation including relative sunshine duration and daylength, we obtained local coefficients s a =0.18, s b =0.62 from past five years data(1981-1985). Using the same method, coefficients for Guyuan region were confirmed too as a representative of south part of Ningxia province. Applying the local
coefficients and calculation formula of solar radiation, we validated daily solar radiation of two years(1986-1987) of Yinchuan station and four years(1991-1994) of Guyuan station. The results showed high correlation coefficients of R2=0.94 in Yinchuan and R2=0.85 in Guyuan. Error analysis was applied using mean bias error(MBE), mean absolute bias error(MABE), root mean square error(RMSE)，mean absolute percentage error(MAPE) on solar radiation of Yinchuan(1973-2006) and Guyuan(1986-2006) stations.
Results showed that mean absolute bias error(MABE) was less than 13% and 17% in Yinchuan station and Guyuan station
respectively. Then we have applied this method to the estimation of daily solar radiation at ‘Yongning’ station(near Yinchan) with the sunshine duration data at ‘Yongning’. The estimated values were compared with observed daily solar radiation at Yinchuan as past twelve
years data(1989-2000). The results showed good linear relationship with high correlation coefficient of R2= 0.88
