ME165-3

Solar and Wind Utilization

Prepared By:
Lecture 2.1 Solar Radiation (Part-1 of 2) Engr. Estelito V. Mamuyac
01/02/2025
2024-2025 / 2T
 The Sun

• The sun, our singular source of renewable

energy, sits at the center of the solar
system and emits energy as
electromagnetic radiation at an extremely
large and relatively constant rate, 24
hours per day, 365 days of the year.
• The rate at which this energy is emitted is
equivalent to the energy coming from a
furnace at a temperature of about 6,000 K
(10,340ºF).
• If we could harvest the energy coming
from just 10 hectares (25 acres) of the
surface of the sun, we would have enough
A Photograph of the Sun to supply the current energy demand of
the world.
 The Sun
• Three important reasons why we cannot rely on the sun to
supply the current energy demand of the world.
• 1st, the earth is displaced from the sun, and since the
sun’s energy spreads out like light from a candle, only a
small fraction of the energy leaving an area of the sun
reaches an equal area on the earth.
• 2nd, the earth rotates about its polar axis, so that any
collection device located on the earth’s surface can
receive the sun’s radiant energy for only about one-half
of each day.
 The Sun
• The 3rd and least predictable factor is the condition
of the thin shell of atmosphere that surrounds the
earth’s surface.
• At best the earth’s atmosphere accounts for another
30 percent reduction in the sun’s energy.
• As is widely known, however, the weather conditions
can stop all but a minimal amount of solar radiation
from reaching the earth’s surface for many days in a
row.
 The Sun
Some basic technical facts about the sun
• Mean distance from the earth: 149 600 000 km (astronomic unit)
• Diameter: 1 392 000 km (109 × that of the earth)
• Volume: 1,300,000 times that of the earth
• Mass: 1,993 × 1027 kg (332 000 times that of the earth)
• Density (at its center): >100 × 103 kg/m3 (over 100X that of water)
• Pressure (at its center): over 1 billion atmospheres
• Temperature (at its center): about 15 000 000 Kelvin
• Temperature (at the surface): 6 000 Kelvin
• Energy radiation: 380 × 1021 kW
• The Earth receives: 170 × 1012 kW
 Solar Radiation

• Solar Radiation
• Solar radiation is radiant energy emitted by the sun, particularly
electromagnetic energy.
• Radiant energy is the energy of electromagnetic waves.
• Solar radiation is a term used to describe visible and near-visible
(ultraviolet and near-infrared) radiation emitted from the sun.
 Solar Radiation

• Extraterrestrial Radiation
• Solar radiation incident outside the earth's
atmosphere is called extraterrestrial
radiation. On average the extraterrestrial
irradiance is 1367 Watts/meter2 (W/m2).
• This value varies by ±3% as the earth
orbits the sun. The earth's closest
approach to the sun occurs around
January 4th and it is furthest from the sun
around July 5th. The extraterrestrial
radiation is:
 Solar Radiation
• Terrestrial Solar Radiation
• Terrestrial radiation is a term used to describe
infrared radiation emitted from the atmosphere.
 Solar Radiation
• Solar Constant
• The solar constant, a measure of flux density, is the amount of
incoming solar electromagnetic radiation per unit area that
would be incident on a plane perpendicular to the rays, at a
distance of 1 astronomical unit (AU) (roughly the mean distance
from the Sun to the Earth).
• Solar constant = 1,361 W/m2 (roughly at solar minimum)
• Solar constant = 1,362 W/m2 (roughly at solar maximum)
 Solar Radiation

• Solar Constant
 Solar Positions
• Polar Axis
• The fixed reference axis from
which the polar angle is measured
in a polar coordinate system.
 Solar Positions
• Ecliptic
• It is the apparent path of the Sun on
the celestial sphere as seen from the
Earth's center, and also the plane of
this path, which is coplanar with the
orbit of the Earth around the Sun.
• The path of the Sun is not normally
noticeable from the Earth's surface
because the Earth rotates, carrying
the observer through the cycle of
sunrise and sunset, obscuring the
small motion of the Sun against the
background stars.
 Solar Positions
For most of the year, the Earth’s axis is tilted either toward or away from the sun. That means the sun’s
warmth and light fall unequally on the northern and southern halves of the planet.
September 21,22,23 or 24
(Fall Equinox)

June 20 or 21 December 21 or 22
(Summer Solstice) (Winter Solstice)

March 19, 21 or 22
(Spring Equinox)
 Solar Positions

§ Spring equinox: March 19-21 (20): The earth’s axis is not tilted toward or away
from the sun, resulting in nearly equal periods of daylight and darkness
worldwide.
§ Fall equinox: September 21-24 (23). It is a moment when the sun is exactly
above the equator and day and night are of equal length.
§ Summer solstice: June 20 or 21 (21). It occurs at the moment the earth’s tilt
toward the sun is at a maximum. It is the day with the longest period of
daylight and shortest night of the year.
§ Winter solstice: December 21 or 22 (21). It marks the exact moment the earth
is tilted the farthest away from the sun. It is the day when the Northern
Hemisphere experiences its shortest day and longest night of the year.
 Solar Positions
• Solar Declination Angle
• The declination angle of the sun is
the angle between the equator and a
line drawn from the centre of the
Earth to the centre of the sun.
• The declination angle, denoted by d,
varies seasonally due to the tilt of
the Earth on its axis of rotation and
the rotation of the Earth around the
sun.
 Solar Declination Angle
• If the Earth was not tilted on
its axis of rotation, the
declination angle 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°.
 References & Material Sources
Textbook
• Energy Conversion by D. Yogi Goswami and Frank Kreith
• Solar Energy Engineering by S. A. Kalogirou

Websites
• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solar_energy
• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solar_power
• http://ocw.tudelft.nl/fileadmin/ocw/courses/SolarCells/res00026/CH2_Solar_radiation.pdf
• http://www.pveducation.org/pvcdrom/introduction
• http://www.astronomygcse.co.uk/AstroGCSE/Unit1/mean%20sun.htm
• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solar_time
• http://www.greenrhinoenergy.com/solar/radiation/extraterrestrial.php
 End of Lecture

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