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Principles and Performance of Solar Energy Thermal Systems: A Web Course by

V.V.Satyamurty
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MODULE 6 Lecture No: 6

Terrestrial Radiation, Components
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In Module 6, Lecture No. 6 deals with

6.1 INTRODUCTION
6.2 CLEARNESS INDEX
6.3 DIFFUSE FRACTION
6.4 SUMMARY

Lecture 6
6.1 INTRODUCTION

In explaining the terminology in Module 3, the terrestrial radiation components, viz., direct and
diffuse components have been introduced. In addition, the notation and the definitions for solar radiation on
different time scales also have been described. The present Module essentially introduces certain
parameters derived from terrestrial radiation components, and extraterrestrial components. The importance
of the quantities introduced in the present Module shall be realized in Module 6, where estimation methods
and in general called synthetic data generation are described.

6.2 CLEARNESS INDEX

Clearness index, as the name indicates, is a measure of how clear the sky is. Certain older books refer
to it as "cloudiness" which may be mathematically equated to ( 1 – clearness index ). Clearness index may
also be called as atmospheric transmittance. If the sky is 100% CLEAR, the clearness index or the
atmospheric transmittance is unity. This, situation although seldom occurs, implies that the solar radiation
received on earth's surface is equal to the corresponding extraterrestrial value. In other words, the
atmospheric transmittance is unity; no scattering or absorption of solar radiation as it passes through the
atmosphere to reach the earth. Like all other quantities of solar radiation, clearness index also can be
defined on different time scales.

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Clearness Index is defined as the ratio of terrestrial global solar radiation on a horizontal surface to the
corresponding extraterrestrial value. According to this definition, hourly, kT, daily, KT, and monthly average
daily K T clearness indices are defined by,

kT = I / Io (6.1)

KT = H / Ho (6.2)

H
KT  (6.3)
Ho

In Eqs. (6.1), (6.2) and (6.3) I, H and H are the data values according to Eqs.(4.3), (4.4) and (4.7).
Similarly, the extraterrestrial, Io, Ho and H o are obtained from Eqs. (5.5), (5.6) and (5.8) respectively.

Analogous to I , the monthly average hourly global solar radiation on a horizontal surface [ see,
Eq.(3.10), of Module 3, ], the corresponding extraterrestrial monthly average hourly solar radiation on a
horizontal surface can be defined as,

I o  (1 / N )  I o (hour ) (6.4)
days

Monthly average hourly clearness index k T , can now be defined as,

kT = I / Io (6.5)

6.3 DIFFUSE FRACTION

Since, most of the meteorological stations record global solar radiation, it becomes necessary to
estimate the diffuse ( or direct ) component, from known global radiation value only. Several investigators
found that the diffuse fraction, i.e., the ratio of diffuse radiation on a horizontal surface to the global solar
radiation on a horizontal surface over a time scale is well correlated , mainly to the corresponding time scale
clearness index and a few other parameters, where relevant, such as, day length, the hour under
consideration.

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Hourly, monthly average hourly, daily and monthly average daily diffuse fraction, designated
respectively, as, df, d f , Df and D f are defined by,

df = Id /I (6.6)

d f  Id / I (6.7)

Df = Hd /H (6.8)

Df  Hd / H (6.9)

When the diffuse fractions on different time scales defined by Eqs. (6.6) to (6.9) are correlated to
known parameters, the relations enable estimating the diffuse component of radiation from known global
radiation value, and further enable estimating the direct solar radiation component.

6.4 SUMMARY

 Certain derived parameters pertaining to the terrestrial radiation have been defined.
 They are the clearness index and diffuse fraction.
 The first parameter is an important parameter, indicates the general clarity of the atmosphere.
 The second one characterizes the nature of global radiation as received under terrestrial
conditions.

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