Solar Radiation

Fiza Ahmad
Sun earth relationship
.
Circle of illumination
Earth’s axial tilt
Earth’s equator
• It is an imaginary great circle normal to the earth’s axis, dividing the
distance between the earth’s poles along its surface into two equal parts
• Equator divides earth into two hemisphere called Northern hemisphere
and Southern hemisphere.

Prime Meridian

• It is an imaginary great circle passing through the location of Royal

Observatory Greenwich, outside of London and two poles of earth,
intersecting the equator at right angle.
• Prime meridian divides earth into two hemisphere called Western
hemisphere and Eastern Hemisphere.
 .
• The great circles similar to prime meridian have been drawn at 15o
through two poles of earth.
• With reference to prime meridian, position of place on earth surface
can be located
Longitude(L)
Longitude of location is the angular distance measured east or west of the
prime meridian.
• Longitude is zero (0o) degree for prime meridian
• 0 to 180 o E (+VE)
• 0-180O W (-ve)

Latitude(Φ)
latitude of location is angular distance north or south of equator measured from the
center of earth
• Latitude is zero (0o) degree for Equator.
• 0-90oN(+ve)
• 0-90oS(-ve)
.
Declination angle (δ, in degree)
• It is the angular distance of sun’s ray
north or south of equator.
• Declination angle vary between 23.45o
on June to -23.45o on December 21.
• At the time of winter solstice(mid winter
in Northern hemisphere, tropic of
Capricorn) the sun rays would be 23.5o
south of equator(δ=-23.45o).
• At time of summer solstice (mid
summer in northern hemisphere tropic
of cancer)the sun rays would be 23.45o
north of earth’s equator(δ=23.45o)
• At the equinox the declination angle is
zero (0o)degree.
Summer solstice
• June 20-21
• Northern hemisphere tilt towards the
sun
• Southern hemisphere tilt away from
sun
• Subsolar point at tropic of cancer
23.50 N
• Above 66.5oN, 24 hours of
daylight(land of midnight sun)
• 66.5oS to 90oS zero hours of sunlight
(tilted away from sun)
Winter solstice
• Dec 21-22
• Northern hemisphere tilted
away from the sun
• Southern hemisphere tilted
towards the sun.
• Subsolar point is at 23.5oS, tropic
of Capricorn.
• Above 66.5oN, 24 hours of
darkness
Equinox
Spring (vernal) Equinox Fall (Autumnal) Equinox
• March 20-21 • Sep 22-23
• Subsolar point is at equator • Subsolar point is at equator
again
• Equal hours of day and night at
all locations
• Northern and southern
hemisphere not toward sun
Solar constant
• The solar radiation received from the sun on earth is almost parallel because
of the large distance between earth and sun.
• Although there is variation in solar energy flux due to slightly non circular
path of earth around sun and sun spot but non of the variation is significant
for solar energy applications.
• Measurements indicates that the solar energy flux received from the sun on
outside the earth’s atmosphere(known as extra-terrestrial)is essentially
constant.
• The solar constant (ISC) is the rate at which energy is received from the sun on
a unit area perpendicular to the rays of sun, at the mean distance of earth
from sun.
• The value of solar constant is 1367 W/m2
• Because of elliptical motion of Earth around the sun the distance
between the earth and sun varies throughout the year that causes the
variation in extra-terrestrial solar flux.
• the value of solar flux on Extra-terrestrial on a particular day can be
calculated using equation

=
1+0.033cos ()

Where n is the day of the year.

• I is the intensity of solar radiation on extra terrestrial surface on
particular day of the year
• e.g. for 13 April
n= 31(Jan)+28(feb)+31(mar)+13(apr)=103
• The cosine function varies from +1 to -1 the extr-terrestrial radiation
flux varies by
 Electromagnetic spectrum

From the whole spectrum of electromagnetic

radiation human can sense only those waves
that have wavelength b/w 0.1 to 100µm
which heats up the body of human and called
thermal radiations
Propagation of solar radiation from sun to earth
through atmosphere
Unique properties of atmosphere
• Our atmosphere has two unique properties
It transmit short wavelength radiations(0.23-2.26µm) coming from sun
It behave as opaque for long wavelength radiation (˃2.26µm)

• Solar radiations coming from the sun is reflected back to the space
from earth and its atmosphere.
 Spectral solar irradiation, extraterrestrial and terrestrial

• Approximately 99% of the atmosphere is

contained within a distance of 30km from
the earth surface.
• Ozone is concentrated in a layer 10-30km
from earth’s surface (strongly absorbs UV
in 0.2 to 0.29µm and relatively strongly in
0.29 to 0.34µm)
• Oxygen absorption occurs in a very
narrow line centered at 0.79µm.
• Water: 0.7 to 2.2µm ,CO2 absorbs ˃2.2µm
Sun’s electromagnetic spectrum
• Solar radiation has peak intensities in the shorter wavelength dominant in visible
region thus short wave radiations
Longwave and shortwave radiation
• Hot sun radiates at shorter wavelengths that carry more energy and the fraction
absorbed by the cooler earth is then re-radiated at longer wavelengths.
.
Mechanism of absorption and scattering
• Absorption • Scattering
Occurs primarily due to ozone and Occurs due to all gaseous
water vapor present in the earth’s molecules as well as particulate
atmosphere and lesser extent to the matter present in the earth’s
other gases and particulate matter.
atmosphere.

Visible and ultra violet radiations are

smaller wavelength radiations these
are scattered more while infrared are
long wavelength radiations these are
mostly absorbed.
Types of radiations
Types of solar radiations
Direct radiation(beam radiation or direct beam radiation)
Describe solar radiation travelling in a straight line from the sun down to
earth surface.
Diffuse radiation
Describes the sunlight that has been scattered by molecules and particles
in the atmosphere but that has still made it down to the surface of earth.
Reflected radiation
Describes sunlight that has been reflected off of non-natmospheric things
like ground.
Global radiations
Direct plus diffuse radiation is called global radiation
Albedo
The amount of sunlight (solar radiation) reflected by a surface and is usually
expressed by a percentage or a decimal value with 1 being perfect reflector
and 0 absorbing all incoming solar radiation.
When talking about albedo the surface is almost always the surface of a
planet like earth
Air mass
• Important parameter that determines the solar irradiance under clear
sky conditions is the distance that the sunlight has to travel through the
atmosphere.
• The distance is the shortest when the sun is at the zenith, i.e. directly
overhead.
• The ratio of an actual path length of the sunlight to this minimal
distance is known as the optical air mass.
m=secθz
• When sun is at zenith the optical air mass is 1 and the spectrum is called
air mass 1 (AM1) spectrum.
Solar energy measurements
• Measurements are made over a period of time
• Available data is used for some other location having reasonably
similar climatic conditions
• Empirical predictive equations are used.
 Atmosphere at earth’s surface
• Atmosphere with clear sky
• Atmosphere with partially or fully cloudy sky
Solar radiation received on clear sky
 Irradiance Irradiation
• Given in W/m2 • Given in J/m2
• Symbol G • Incident energy per unit area on
• The rate at which radiant energy a surface determined by
is incident upon a surface per integration of irradiance over a
unit area of the surface specified time, usually an hour
or a day.
• It is instantaneous value.
• Specifically for solar irradiance
• When integrated over time this is called insolation
become irradiation. H: insolation for a day
I: insolation for an hour
Solar instruments
• Pyranometers
• Pyrheliometer
• Sunshine recorder
Pyranometers
• Used to measure global and diffuse solar radiation
Applications: assessment of the efficiency of solar collectors and
photovoltaic devices

Pyranometer with shading ring

Pyrheliometer
• Used to measure beam solar irradiance
• sunlight enter the instrument through a
window and is directed on thermopile
which converts heat to an electrical signal
that can be recorded.
• The signal voltage is than converted by
conversion formula to measure watts per
square meter.
• It is used with a solar tracking system to
keep the instrument aimed at the sun
• Components: protection cap,
sensor/thermopile, tracking device.
• Applications: used in meteorology,
assessment of the efficiency of solar
collectors and PV devices
Sunshine recorder
• The device that record the
amount of sunshine duration at
a given location.
• The most commonly used is
CAMPBELL-STOKES recorder.
• A burnt trace whose length is
proportional to the duration of
sunshine is obtained on strip
Irradiance irradiation insolation