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In this study, we examine the direct effect of atmospheric aerosols on two components of downwelling surface solar irradiance, Global Horizontal Irradiance (GHI) and Direct Normal Irradiance (DNI), under clear-sky conditions and their implications for solar energy, focusing on the broader Mediterranean Basin, over an 18-year time period between 2003 and 2020. In addition to the aerosol optical depth (AOD) from satellite retrievals and model data that have been used in previous studies, the present study utilizes ground-based direct measurements of AOD and aerosol optical properties from the AErosol RObotic NETwork (AERONET) to assess the direct effect of aerosols on GHI and DNI.