Sun-Earth relationship

• The total power from the sun is spread out over a much larger surface area and
therefore the solar irradiance on an object in space decreases as the object moves
further away from the sun, i.e. the earth receives about 7% more radiation when it is
nearest to the sun.

• The sun is about 1.5 x1011 m away from earth (varies ±3%), so, because thermal
radiation travels with the speed of light in a vacuum (300,000 km/s), after leaving the sun
solar energy reaches our planet in 8 min and 20 s.
 SOLAR RADIATION
• Sun is a sphere of hot gaseous matter with a
diameter of 1.39 x 109. metre.
• Due to its temperature, sun emits energy in the
form of electromagnetic waves, which is called
radiation energy.
• The energy from the sun is transferred to the
earth in the form of photons ( small packet of energy
) moving at the speed of 3 x 108 metre per second.
• When photons are absorbed by a metal, their
energy is converted into heat energy.
• When photon falls on plants their energy is
combination with O2 is converted to chemical
energy of plants (Photosynthesis process ).
• When photon falls on solar cells, their energy is
converted into electrical energy.
• The heat energy received on the earth through
photons is responsible for earth’s temperature.
• The heat also causes evaporation of water
which results in rains.
• The uneven heating of the earth’s surface
causes wind flow.
• The amount of solar radiation reaching at
different parts of the world is not the same. It
varies from location to location and season to
season.
• Therefore, for designing and estimating the
potential output from a solar energy system,
the knowledge of amount of solar radiation
available in a given location is required.
 SOLAR SPECTRUM
• Electromagnetic waves (or photons) are
characterized either by their frequency (f) or
their wavelength ( ).
• The wavelength of solar radiation is given in
micrometres ( 1 micrometre = 1 x 10-6 metre )
or nanometres (1 nanometre = 1 x 10-9
metre).
• A photons can also be described in terms of
energy that it carries.
Distribution of solar spectrum in terms of
wavelength and amount of energy carried
Range of
Wavelengths Energy carried
Name
(%)
( micrometres )
Ultraviolet
Radiation
0.15 to 0.38 7.6

Visible Radiation 0.38 to 0.72 48.4

Infrared Radiation 0.72 to 4.0 43
Other Radiation > 4.0 1
 EXTRATERRESTRIAL
RADIATION
• The amount of solar radiation received by
a planet depends on its distance from
the sun.
• The earth is about 1.5 x 1011 metre away
from the sun.
• The extraterrestrial radiation refers to the
amount of radiation falling on earth,
outside its atmosphere.
• The extraterrestrial solar radiation
received by the earth is essentially
constant throughout the year.

• The extraterrestrial solar radiation is often

given in terms of solar constant, which is
defined as average radiation intensity
received per unit area perpendicular to
earth surface at mean sun - earth distance.
Solar constant is taken as 1367 W / m2.
 RADIATION ON THE EARTH
SURFACE

Schematic diagram showing extraterrestrial radiation,

direct and diffuse radiation and air mass.
11 Difference between Beam Radiation
and diffuse Radiation
GLOBAL, DIRECT AND DIFFUSE
SOLAR RADIATION
• The scattered radiation due to gaseous
molecules and other particles in the
atmosphere is called diffuse radiation
• When radiation does not go through either
absorption interaction or scattering
interaction and reaches the earth surface

directly, and it is known as direct radiation.

• The total radiation is sum of direct
radiation and diffuse radiation. It is also
called global radiation.
• In a normal sunny day, the diffuse
radiation is about 15 to 20 % of that of
direct solar radiation.
• During the cloudy days, the percentage
of diffuse radiation increases with
respect to direct radiation.
DAILY RADIATION PATTERN
 OPTIMAL TILT FOR
SOLAR EQUIPMENT
• The solar system should be installed at
an angle equal to latitude angle of the
location in order to receive homogeneous
solar radiation throughout the year
• In the sun tracking is being done, there is
no need to install a system at an angle
equal to latitude angle of the location.
• The system adjust themselves in a

position perpendicular to the sunrays.

• A solar system located in the northern

hemisphere should be faced towards the

south and a solar system that is located

in the southern hemisphere should be

faced towards the north.

Solar Radiation is form of energy transmitted in
the particles, rays or in electromagnetic waves
Solar C o n s t a n t (Isc ) :
It is the rate at which energy is received from
the sun on a unit area perpendicular to the
rays of the seen at the mean distance of the
earth from the sun.
Isc = 1367 W / m2

The value any day

Isc’ = Isc [ 1 + 0.033 cos (360 n / 365) ]
Where,
Radiation received at the earth’s surface in
an attenuated form because of absorption &
scatting
Beam (or) Direct Radiation ( Ib ) :
Radiation received at the earth’s surface
without change of direction.
Diffuse radiation (Id) :
Scattered radiation in the atmosphere ( does
not have any unique deduction )
Irradiance (W/m2) :
The rate at which radiant energy is
incident on a surface, per unit area of
surface
Irradiation ( J / m2) :
The incident energy per unit area on a
surface, found by the integration of
evidence over a specified time
Radiosity (W/m2) :
The rate of which radiant energy leaves a
surface per unit area, by combined
emission, reflection & transmission

Albedo :
The earth reflects about 30 % of all the
incoming solar radiation back to
extraterrestrial region through atmosphere
Air Mass :
A is the ratio of the mass of the atmosphere through
which the beam radiation passes to the mass it
would pass through if the seen is directly overhead
( is at its benefits )
Used a measure of the distance traveled by beam
radiation.
Zenith angle :
Angle made by the seen’s rays with the normal to
the horizontal surface.
Solar energy reaching earth’s surface at different
sun’s Positions

Distance travelled by sun rays Solar radiation flux

to reach earth’s surface, or reaching the
Air Mass surface (W / m2)

AM 0 ( extraterrestrial ) 1376
AM 1 (sun at overhead position) 1105
AM 1.5 ( sun at about 48 from
overhead position ) 1000
AM 2 ( sun at about 60 from
overhead position ) 894
SOLAR RADIATION
MEASUREMENTS
The instruments for measuring
solar radiation can be
classified into two categories

1. Pyrheliometer

2. Pyranometer
PYRHELIOMETE
R
 This is an instrument using a
collimated detector for measuring solar
radiation from the sun(i.e. beam
radiation)
26 Solar radiation-Pyrheliometer
WORKING PRINCIPLE
 Two blackened manganin strips are used.
 When one strip is exposed to radiation, the other
strip is shaded and a current is passed through
the shaded strip to heat it to the same
temperature as the exposed strip. Since the
temperature difference is zero, the electrical
energy to the shaded strip should be equal to the
solar radiation absorbed by the exposed strip
 The electrical energy produced is
equated to the product of solar radiation,
strip area and absorptance.
 Hence, solar energy is determined. Then
the shutter's position is reversed,
thereby interchanging the radiation and
electric heating and the second value is
determined.
 Thin clouds or haze can affect the
angular distribution of radiation within the
field of view of standard Pyrheliometer.
29  Beam radiation energy (Hb)
CIRCUIT DIAGRAM OF
PYROHELIOMETER
 Abbot silver disk Pyrheliometer- for Measuring
31 Beam radiation
PYRANOMETE
R
used for measuring the total radiation (beam + diffuse). It can be
used to measure diffuse radiation only by using a shade ring or disc,
which shades the beam radiation
 Two concentric hemispherical glass domed
covers the sensitive surface thereby shielding it
from wind and rain and to reduce convection currents.
 The beam radiation can be blocked by an occulting
disc provided to facilitate measurement of diffuse
radiation.
 The thermopile detectors used in Pyranometer
and Pyrheliometer convert the incident solar radiation
into mill volts
35 Eppley Pyranometer
SUNSHINE RECORDER
 This instrument is used to measure the
duration, in hours of bright sunshine during
the course of the day.
 A glass sphere is mounted in a section of
spherical bowl with grooves for holding the
recorder cards.
 When exposed to sun, the sphere burns a
trace on the card; the length of the brace is a
direct measure of the duration of bright
sunshine.
 There are sets of grooves on the card for
 For Various Sun angles and Transmissivity of a cover system -
refer BOOK