Teaching Assistantship

Course: Solar Photovoltaics

Prof. Ashish Garg

TA Details: Assignment: 1
Name: Harishankar Suman Total Question: 12
PMRF Scholar, IIT Roorkee
Under the supervision of
Prof. K .L. Yadav, Prof. Ashish Garg
Email: harishankar_s@ph.iitr.ac.in

15/02/2024 Week 1 1
 Solar Irradiance

Solar irradiance is the power per unit area (surface power density) received from the Sun in the form of electromagnetic radiation in the
wavelength range of the measuring instrument. Solar irradiance is measured in watts per square metre (W/m2) in SI units.
Solar irradiance is often integrated over a given time period in order to report the radiant energy emitted into the surrounding environment (
joule per square metre, J/m2) during that time period. This integrated solar irradiance is called solar irradiation, solar exposure, solar
insolation, or insolation.
Irradiance on the Earth's surface additionally depends on the tilt of the measuring surface, the height of the Sun above the horizon, and
atmospheric conditions.
The study and measurement of solar irradiance have several important applications, including the prediction of energy generation from
solar power plants, the heating and cooling loads of buildings, climate modeling and weather forecasting, passive daytime radiative cooling
applications, and space travel.

15/02/2024 Source: Wikipedia, avantes.com 2

 Solar Irradiance

A pyranometer, used to A pyrheliometer, mounted on a solar tracker, is used to

measure global irradiance measure Direct Normal Irradiance (or beam irradiance)

15/02/2024 Source: Wikipedia, avantes.com 3

15/02/2024 Source: Wikipedia, avantes.com 4
 Air Mass Coefficient

• AM0 – The spectrum outside the atmosphere, approximated

by the 5,800 K black body, is referred to as "AM0", meaning
"zero atmospheres". – Useful for outer space applications
such as satellites.
• AM1 – The spectrum after travelling through the atmosphere
to sea level with the sun directly overhead is referred to, by
definition, as "AM1". – AM1 (=0°) to AM1.1 (=25°) for
equatorial and tropical regions.
• AM1.5 – Represents mid-latitude spectrum at q=48.2°.
• AM2~3 – AM2 (=60°) to AM3 (=70°) is useful for high
latitudes and in temperate latitudes
• AM38 – Close to horizon

15/02/2024 NPTEL TA 5
 1) The factor(s) influencing the solar irradiance on earth’s surface is/are:
a. Absorption
b. Scattering
c. Day of the year
d. Wavelength of radiation
e. Type of the receiving surface
f. Time of the day
Ans a, b, c, and f
2) Solar radiation is measured in:
g. KW/cm2
h. kW/m2
i. KW
j. KW/day

Ans b

15/02/2024 Source: Wikipedia, avantes.com 6

 3) Beer-Lambert Law is used for:
a. Absorption
b. Reflection
c. Scattering
d. None
Ans A
4) Which of the following optical design factor(s) require(s) the solar panels to be installed at an optimum angle
to the horizontal surface?
a. Minimize the transmission and reflection losses
b. Minimize the reflection losses only
c. Maximize absorbance and minimize transmission and reflection losses
d. Minimize absorbance and maximize reflection
e. Minimize absorbance and maximize transmission
15/02/2024 Ans C Source: Wikipedia, avantes.com 7
 The air mass coefficient defines the direct optical path length through the
Earth's atmosphere, expressed as a ratio relative to the path length vertically upwards, i.e.
6) The value of the zenith angle at at the zenith. The air mass coefficient can be used to help characterize the solar spectrum
after solar radiation has traveled through the atmosphere.
air mass (AM) index of 1.5 is: The air mass coefficient is commonly used to characterize the performance of solar cells
a. 30° under standardized conditions, and is often referred to using the syntax "AM" followed
b. 0° by a number. "AM1.5" is almost universal when characterizing terrestrial power-
c. 25.6° generating panels.
d. 33.3°
e. 48.2°
Ans e
The value of the solar declination angle on summer solstice
is:
a. -23.45°
b. +23.45°
c. 0°
d. 33.25°
e. 16.25°
Ans b

15/02/2024 Source: Wikipedia, aserfocusworld.com 8

 Solar Radiation Spectrum
7) Calculate the available energy range for the Visible solar
spectrum
a. 1.6eV-3eV
b. 0.5eV-2eV
c. 1eV-5eV
d. 2eV-4eV

Ans a

15/02/2024 Source: Wikipedia 9

 Elevation or altitude Angle
8) Which of the following is the angle between the sun
Ans: c) Altitude angle
ray and its projection on a horizontal plane?
a) Declination angle
b) Zenith angle
c) Altitude angle
d) Solar azimuthal angle
e) Hour angle

Fig. latitude ϕ and longitude λ angle

measurements for a spherical model
15/02/2024 Source: Wikipedia, pveducation.org 10
 Azimuth Angle
Azimuth Angle:
Angle made in the horizontal plane between
the N-S line and the projection of sun ray
on the horizontal plane
(-180 to +180°)

The azimuth angle is the compass direction

from which the sunlight is coming. At solar
noon, the sun is always directly south in the
northern hemisphere and directly north in
the southern hemisphere. At the equinoxes,
the sun rises directly east and sets directly
west regardless of the latitude, thus making
the azimuth angles 90° at sunrise and 270°
at sunset.

15/02/2024 Source: pveducation.org 11

 Declination Angle
Declination angle δ :
The declination of the sun is the
angle between the equator and a
line drawn from the center of the
Earth to the center of the sun.

The declination angle, denoted by δ, varies seasonally due to the tilt of the Earth on its
axis of rotation and the rotation of the Earth around the sun. If the Earth were not tilted
on its axis of rotation, the declination would always be 0°. However, the Earth is tilted
by 23.45° and the declination angle varies plus or minus this amount. Only at the spring
and fall equinoxes is the declination angle equal to 0°.

15/02/2024 NPTEL TA 12
 Declination Angle

9) The approximate value of the solar declination angle on

March 30th, 2023, is:
a. -5.20°
Solution:
b. +3.62°
On March 30th, no. of days, n = 31 +28 + 30 = 89 days
c. +5.25°
𝑆𝑜𝑙𝑎𝑟 𝑑𝑒𝑐𝑙𝑖𝑛𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛 𝑎𝑛𝑔𝑙𝑒, 𝛿= 23.45° 𝑆𝑖𝑛 {( 360/ 365 (𝑛 −
d. -3.29°
80)}
e. +2.56°
𝛿 = 23.45° 𝑆𝑖𝑛 {( 360/ 365 (89 − 80)}
𝛿 = 23.45° 𝑆𝑖𝑛{ ( 360 /365) (89 − 80)}
𝜹 = 𝟑. 618°
Ans: b) +3.62°

15/02/2024 NPTEL TA 13
 Hour Angle (HRA)

10) The value of the hour angle at 3 PM local solar time is

a. 30° Hour Angle (HRA)
b. -90° The Hour Angle converts the local solar time (LST) into the
c. 45° number of degrees which the sun moves across the sky. By
d. 15° definition, the Hour Angle is 0° at solar noon. Since the Earth
e. -30° rotates 15° per hour, each hour away from solar noon
corresponds to an angular motion of the sun in the sky of 15°. In
the morning the hour angle is negative, in the afternoon the hour
Solution: Hour angle
angle is positive.
= 15° (LST - 12)
= 15° (15-12) HRA = 15° (LST - 12)
= 15°×3
= 45°

Ans: c)

15/02/2024 NPTEL TA 14
 Hour Angle (HRA)

11) What is the value of equation of time (EoT) (in minutes) for a location in Goa (15.29°N and 74.12°E) on May 30 th,
2023?
a) +3.76 min
b) +4.05 min Solution:
c) +2.64 min Here,
d) -1.85 min
e) -4.05 min No. of days, n = 31+28+31+30+30 = 150
Ans c) and

15/02/2024 NPTEL TA 15
 Maximum day Length

12) The maximum day length on March 30th, 2023, in Kanpur (India), located at
latitude and longitude angles of 26.45°N and 80.33°E respectively, will be:
a. 11 hours 45 minutes
b. 12 hours 45 minutes
c. 11 hours 25 minutes Maximum day length: 𝑆𝑚𝑎𝑥 = (2 /15)* 𝐶𝑜𝑠−1 (−𝑡𝑎𝑛𝛿
𝑡𝑎𝑛𝜑
)
d. 11 hours 59 minutes
e. 10 hours 44 minutes

Solution: Maximum day length:

𝑆𝑚𝑎𝑥 = (2 /15) 𝐶𝑜𝑠−1 (−𝑡𝑎𝑛𝑡𝑎𝑛𝛿 )𝜑
Here, 𝜹 = 𝟑. 62° (for March 30th) 𝝋 = 26.45° Ans:
𝑆𝑚𝑎𝑥 = (2 /15) 𝐶𝑜𝑠−1 (− 𝑡𝑎𝑛(3.62) 𝑡𝑎𝑛(26.45)) a) 11 hours 45 minutes
= (2 /15) 𝐶𝑜𝑠−1 (−0.0632395 × 0.4975)
= (2 /15) 𝐶𝑜𝑠−1 (−0.02799) = 2 15 × 91.60
𝑺𝒎𝒂 𝒙 = 𝟏1. 76 𝒉𝒐𝒖𝒓
= 𝟏1 𝒉𝒐𝒖𝒓 45 𝒎𝒊𝒏𝒖𝒕𝒆

15/02/2024 NPTEL TA 16
 THANKS
FOR
YOUR KIND
ATTENTION

15/02/2024 NPTEL TA 17