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Module:2Solar radiation
Development Team
Prof. R.K. Kohli
Principal Investigator
& Prof. V.K. Garg &Prof.AshokDhawan
Co- Principal Investigator
Central University of Punjab, Bathinda
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Anchor Institute Central University of Punjab
Module Id EVS/EE-VII/2
Pre-requisites
How to calculate Solar radiation data (monthly average daily diffuse radiation and global
radiation)?
Objectives:
How to find out Local apparent time and solar day length?
How to calculate Solar radiation data (monthly average daily diffuse radiation and global
radiation)?
1. Introduction
The energy in the sun is produced by nuclear fusion reaction and it maintains a high temperature at the
surface. The radiated heat energy from the sun is called solar energy or solar radiation. This radiation
is the fundamental part of all the biotic and abiotic processes on the earth. The energy and various
gaseous cycles between terrestrial and atmospheric continuum depends on solar radiation. The water
cycle, local weather and climate, circulation of wind are also controlled by the solar radiation. The
photosynthesis is possible in the presence of solar radiation and hence it is important for plants and to
animals.
The sun is considered as a black body having high surface temperature (5,800oC). The electromagnetic
spectrum of solar radiation ranged from gamma rays (100 nm) to radiowaves (1 mm). The solar
radiation spectrum (Fig 1) consists of emission at various wavelengths but more at short wavelengths.
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The solar radiation spectrum represents continuous spectra of electromagnetic waves. About 95
percent of the total energy lies in the short wave length region of 0.3-2.4 μm and about 99 percent is
within 0.25-4 μm range. The long waves in the spectrum ranged greater than 4 μm accounts only to 1
percent. And the radiation spectrum from the earth consists mainly of long wavelengths and maximum
emission takes place at 10um.
Irradiance is the rate at which radiant energy is incident on a unit surface area. It is the measure of
power density of sun light falling per unit area and time. It is measured in watt per square meter. Heat
energy is measured in joules and while watt or joules per second is unit of power.
The earth revolves around the sun in an elliptical orbit as shown in figure 1. The earth is closest to the
sun on 21 March and 23 September. The earth is farthest from the sun on 21 June and 22 December.
The mean distance of the earth from the sun is 1.495 × 1011 m.
The intensity of solar radiation outside the earth’s atmosphere reduces with distance and it is
dependent on the distance between the earth and the sun. In fact, the intensity of solar radiation
reaching outside the earth’s atmospheric varies with the square of the distance between centers of the
earth and the sun. This is the reason why earth receives 7 % more radiation on 21 March and 23
September as compared to 21 June and 22 December. The intensity of solar radiation keeps on
The earth axis is tilted about 23.45̊ with respect to earth’s orbit around the sun as shown in figure(2)
owing to this tilting of earth’s axis, the northern hemisphere of the earth points towards the sun in the
month of June and it point away from the sun in the month of December. However, earth’s axis
remains perpendicular to the imaginary line drawn from the earth to sun during the month of
September and March. The sun- earth’s distance varies during earth’s rotation around the sun, thereby
varying the solar energy reaching its surface during revolution, which bring about seasonal changes.
The northern hemisphere has summer in the month of September and March, both the hemisphere are
at the same distance from the sun and receive equal sunshine. During the summer, the sun is higher in
the sky, while the sun is lower in the sky during winter for the northern hemisphere.
4. Extraterrestrial radiation
Solar radiation incident on the outer atmosphere of the earth is called extraterrestrial radiation. The
extraterrestrial radiation varies based on the change in sun- earth’s distance arising from earth’s
elliptical orbit of rotation. The extraterrestrial radiation is not affected by changes in atmospheric
condition.
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This includes all types of solar radiation. It has a fluctuation of about 6.9% during a year. It means
solar constant varies from 1,412 W/m² in early January to 1,321 W/m² in early July. This is because of
the difference in earth's distance from the Sun. So solar constant of 1367 W m-2 is with a range of
standard deviation of 1.6 Wm-2 to ±7 Wm-2
Where
6. Terrestrial radiation
When radiation passes through earth’s atmosphere, it is subjected to the mechanism of atmospheric
absorption and scattering depending on atmospheric conditions. Earth’s atmosphere contains various
constituents, suspended dust and solid and liquid particles, such as air molecules, oxygen, nitrogen,
carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, ozone, water vapour and dust. Therefore, solar radiation or intensity
of radiation is depleted during its passage through the atmosphere. The solar radiation that reaches
earth’s surface after passing through earth’s atmosphere is called terrestrial radiation.
7.1 Beam radiation - a part of sun’s radiation travels through earth’s atmosphere and its reaches
directly, which is called direct or beam radiation. The solar radiation along with the line joining the
receiving point and the sun is called beam radiation. This radiation has any unique direction
7.2 Diffuse radiation -the remaining major part of the solar radiation is scattered, reflected back into
the space or absorbed by earth’s atmosphere. A part of this radiation may reach earth’s surface. This
radiation reaching earth’s surface by the mechanism of scattering and reflecting, that is, radiation, is
called diffuse or sky radiation. The solar radiation which is scattered by the particles in earth’s
atmosphere and this radiation dose not have any unique direction. The diffuse radiation takes pace
uniformly in the all direction and its intensity does not change with the orientation of the surface.
However, direct or beam radiation depends on the orientation of the surface. The beam radiation
depends on the angle of incident on the surface and its intensity is maximum when the solar radiation
is falling normal to the surface. The solar radiation propagating normal to its direction is specified by
In.
The radiation reaching earth surfaces depend on (i) atmospheric condition and depletion and (ii) solar
altitude. Air mass is the ratio of the path length through the atmosphere which the solar beam actually
traverses up to earth’s surface to the vertical path length through the atmosphere (minimum height of
terrestrial atmosphere). At sea level, the air mass is unity when the sun is vertically is in the sky
(inclination angle 90̊ ).
9.1 Latitude or angle of latitude (λ): the latitude location of earth’s surface is the angle made by the
radial line joining the specified location to the centre of earth with the projection of this line on the
equatorial plane. The latitude equator is zero and it is 90 ̊ at poles. On a globe of the earth, lines of
latitude are circles of different size. The largest one is the circle at equator (circle at equator with
centre at earth’ centre) whose latitude is taken as zero. The circles at the poles have latitude of 90 ̊
9.2 Longitude:
On the globe, vertical lines of constant longitude (meridians) extend from pole to pole similar to the
segment boundaries on peeled orange. Every meridian has to cross the equator and equator is circle.
Like any circle, it has 360 degrees or division. Hence, longitude of a point is the marked value of that
division where its meridian meets the equator circle. The meridian passing through the royal
astronomical observatory at Greenwich, UK had been chosen as zero longitude. The meridian passing
longitude and there are 180 longitude lines or degrees at cast (+ 180 )̊ of Greenwich. The longitude
lines meet at poles and these have wide separation at the equator (about 111 km).. Solar noon is the
time when the sun is at the longitude of the place.
9.3 Declination angle (δ): it is the angle made by the line joining the centres of sun and earth with
equatorial plane.
The angle of declination varies when earth revolves around the sun. it has maximum value of 23.45 ̊
when earth achieves a position in its orbit corresponding to 21 June and it has minimum value of -
̊ hen earth is in orbital position corresponding to 22 December. the northern hemisphere. The
23.45 w
angle of declination can be given by
9.4 Hour angle () : the hour angle at any instant is the angle through which the earth has to turn to
bring the meridian of the observer directly in line with sun’s rays. It is an angular measure of time.
It is the angle in degree traced by the sun 1 h with reference to 12 noon of the (LAT) is positive in
afternoon and negative in forenoon as shown in fig(5).
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The earth completes one rotation (360 )̊ in 24 h. Hence, 1 h corresponds to 15 o̊ f earth rotation. As at
solar noon the sun rays is in the line with local meridian or longitude, the hour angle at that instant is
zero.
It is the angle between sun’s ray and normal to horizontal plane as shown in fig 6..
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9.7 Angle of incidence ():Angle of incidence for any surface is defined as the angle formed between
the direction of the sun ray and the line normal to the surface as shown in the fig 6.
Tilt or slope angle (β): the tilt angle is the angle between the inclined slope and the horizontal plane
Surface azimuth angle (): it is the angle is horizontal plane between the line due south and the
horizontal projection of normal to the inclined plane surface. It is taken as positive when measured
from south towards west.
Cos = sin (sin δcos β+ cos δ cos sin β) + cos (cos δ cos cos β- sin δcos sinβ)
LAT = standard time + 4 (standard time longitude –location longitude) + (equation of time
correction)
The angle between sunrise and sunset is the solar day length. It is given by
15o
15 15
Example 1: Calculate the number of daylight hours in Srinagar (latitude of 34o05’) for 1 January and
1 July?
Solution:
Declination angle ,
Case1: 1 January
13
= -23.01o
15 15
Case 2: 1 July
n=182
= 23.12o
15 15
Example 2: Calculate the day length in hours in Mumbai on 1 December if latitude is 19.116 and
declination angle is -22.108 o
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15
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Solution
n= 31+28+31+30+31+1 = 152
= 22 o
Hour angle , = 2h x 15 o= 30 o
= 72.4 o
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= 17.2 h = 5:12 PM
The normal intensity (IN) is the intensity normal to horizontal surface, beam radiation (Ib) and diffuse
radiation (Id) on horizontal surface is given by
Ib = IN cosz
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where Rb, Rd ,Rr are conversion factors for beam, diffuse and reflected components
where
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The following instruments are used to measure duration and quantifying solar radiation.
Sunshine Recorder : It measures the duration of Bright Sunshine (BSS) Hours in any given day.
Pyranometer : Measures the total or Global radiation i.e. the summation of direct and diffuse radiation
Pyrheliometer or Tube Solarimeter : Measures direct solar beam i.e. radiation falling on a plane
surface at normal (perpendicular) incidence angle.