Solar Energy Technology:

Terminologies
 The Perihelion and the Aphelion

• Earth goes round the sun in an elliptic orbit.

• The earth is closest to the sun at 1.471x1011 m, the perihelion around
January 2 each year;
• It is farthest at 1.526 x1011 m around July 2 each year.
 THE SOLAR CONSTANT
• The solar constant, Gsc, is the energy from the sun, per unit time,
received on a unit area of surface perpendicular to the direction of
propagation of the radiation at the earth's mean distance from the
sun, if the earth’s the atmosphere is fully transparent.
• The recently reported value of the solar constant is 1367 W/m2.
EXTRA TERRESTRIAL NORMAL RADIATION:
• Solar radiation on a surface normal to sun's rays kept at a distance
of sun-earth, ( not the mean distance, but the actual distance as
of, on that day, that time) Gon , will essentially be the solar
constant, modified to take into account the varying distance
between the sun and the earth. Gon is given by,
• Gon = Gsc( 1 + 0.033 cos[360 * n/365] )
• n is the day of the year, i.e., the sequential number of the day
counting January 1 as 1.
Sun – Earth Relationships
• Declination, δ, is the angular position of the sun at
solar noon with respect to the place of the equator.
• Declination varies from - 23.450 to 23.450. δ, in
degrees, for the day, n, of the year ( counting Jan. 1
as 1 ), can be calculated from,
• Hour angle, ω, is the angular displacement of the
sun east or west of the local meridian due to
rotation of earth on its axis at 150 per hour.
• ω = 0 , at solar noon and is reckoned negative in the
forenoon and positive in the after noon.
• For example the hour angle for 11 A.M solar time is
-150 and for say, 2.30 P.M is +37.50.
• Surface azimuthal angle, , is defined as the
deviation of the projection on a horizontal plane of
the normal to the surface from the local meridian,
with zero due south, east negative and west
positive, -1800    1800.
Mechanisms to Maximize Solar Utility
• Intensity and Energy Units : The units of, say, the solar
constant have been mentioned as W/m2, which is a
rate, so is the solar radiation on a surface kept normal
to the sun's rays under extraterrestrial conditions, Gon.
• However, the amount of energy received by the
surface over a period of time is the rate, i.e., the
intensity, multiplied by the time interval, which will be
in Joules, provided the intensity is constant during the
time interval considered. If the intensity is varying with
time, the energy received over the time interval is,
Terrestrial Radiation, is the solar radiation as received on
earth's surface. This radiation can be once again expressed as
an intensity or an integrated energy quantity over a time
period of interval.
• Further, the solar radiation while passing through the
atmosphere is attenuated, partly due to absorption by O 3,
CO2 and H2O.
• Other attenuation is due to scattering in the atmosphere by
air molecules, water vapor and dust.
• Thus, the terrestrial radiation comprises of solar radiation
reaching the earth's surface without a change in the
direction and radiation reaching in all possible directions due
to scattering in the atmosphere. Thus the terrestrial
radiation will be less than the corresponding extra-terrestrial
radiation.
• Direct Radiation is that part of terrestrial solar radiation
reaching the earth's surface without a change in the
direction as originated from sun
• Diffuse Radiation is that part of the terrestrial solar radiation
reaching the earth's surface in all possible directions due to
scattering in the earth's atmosphere.
• Global Radiation is the term given to the total terrestrial
radiation comprising of direct and diffuse components.
Expressed as intensity, the global radiation intensity
( W/m2 ), G, comprises of the direct component Gband diffuse
component, Gd. Similarly, over a short interval of time,
usually, one hour, the corresponding symbols are, I, Ib and Id.
In addition, it is customary to measure solar radiation on
horizontal plane.
 Terrestrial Radiation, Components
Clearness index, as the name indicates, is a measure of how clear
the sky is. 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.
• Clearness Index is defined as the ratio of terrestrial global solar
radiation on a horizontal surface to the corresponding
extraterrestrial value.