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Basic Concepts of Solar Energy

This document provides an overview of solar energy concepts, including: - The sun is the largest source of energy in the solar system and radiates energy in all directions that can be harnessed as a renewable resource. - Solar radiation reaching the Earth is then either directly converted to thermal or photovoltaic energy or powers other indirect renewable sources like wind and hydro. - Key factors that determine the solar radiation available at a given location include the Earth's positioning relative to the Sun, atmospheric conditions, and air mass which accounts for depletion of radiation through scattering and absorption in the atmosphere.

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Hrishikesh Bhat
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19 views20 pages

Basic Concepts of Solar Energy

This document provides an overview of solar energy concepts, including: - The sun is the largest source of energy in the solar system and radiates energy in all directions that can be harnessed as a renewable resource. - Solar radiation reaching the Earth is then either directly converted to thermal or photovoltaic energy or powers other indirect renewable sources like wind and hydro. - Key factors that determine the solar radiation available at a given location include the Earth's positioning relative to the Sun, atmospheric conditions, and air mass which accounts for depletion of radiation through scattering and absorption in the atmosphere.

Uploaded by

Hrishikesh Bhat
Copyright
© All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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B.N.M.

Institute of Technology

Module-1
d. Solar Energy-Basic Concepts

By,
Ms. Kruthi Jayaram
Assistant Professor
Dept of EEE, BNMIT
Solar Energy-Basic Concepts

• Introduction
• The Sun as Source of Energy
• The Earth
• Sun Earth Radiation Spectrum
• Extraterrestrial and Terrestrial Radiations
• Spectral Power Distribution of Solar Radiation
• Depletion of Solar Radiation
INTRODUCTION
• Sun radiates energy in all directions in the form of
electromagnetic waves

• It’s a renewable energy source –clean, inexhaustible,


abundantly available and universally

• Dilute form of energy – intermittently and uncertainly


available, not steady and continuous

• The output of sun = 2.8*10ᶺ23 kW/year

• The energy reaching the earth is 1.5*10ᶺ18kWh/year


SOLAR ENERGY

SOLAR THERMAL SOLAR PHOTOVOLTAIC

• Indirect form of solar energy


• Mother of all forms of energy

Various sources of energy which find their origin in the sun


is:
• Wind energy
• Biomass energy
• Tidal energy
• Ocean wave energy
• Ocean thermal energy
• Fossil fuels
• Hydro energy
THE SUN AS A SOURCE OF ENERGY
• Largest member of solar system
• Sphere of intensely hot gaseous matter having
a diameter of 1.39*10ᶺ9 m
• Average distance = 1.495*10ᶺ11 m from the
earth.
• Sun rotates about its own axis once in every
four week as seen from the earth
• At the innermost region, the core, the
temperature is estimated to be 8*10ᶺ6 to
40*10ᶺ6 ο K.
THE SUN AS A SOURCE OF ENERGY
• The core has a density of about 100times that
of water and a pressure of 10ᶺ9 atm.
• Fusion reaction
• The surface of the sun is maintained at a
temperature of 5800ºK.
THE EARTH
• The earth is shaped as an oblate spheroid, a sphere
flattened at the poles and bulged in the plane normal to
the poles.

• Earth may be considered as a sphere with a diameter of


1.275*10ᶺ7 m.

• The earth makes one rotation about its axis every 24


hours and completes a revolution about the sun in a
period of 365.25 days.

• Its axis is inclined at an angle of 23.5º

• As a result the length of days and night keep changing.


THE EARTH
What is ALBEDO..??
SUN, EARTH AND RADIATION SPECTRUMS
IMPORTANT DEFINITION
Irradiance: measure of power density of
sunlight received at a location on the earth and is
measured in W/m2

Irradiation: measure of energy density of


sunlight and is measured in kWh/m2.

Usually denoted by ‘H’


EXTRATERRESTRIAL AND TERRESTRIAL
RADIATIONS
Extraterrestrial radiation (Iext): solar
radiation incident on the outer atmosphere of
the earth.

Solar constant (ISC): the energy received from


the sun per unit time, on a unit area of surface
perpendicular to the direction of propagation
of the radiation at the top of the atmosphere
and at the earth’s mean distance from the sun.
• Terrestrial
radiation

• Solar
insolation
EXTRATERRESTRIAL AND TERRESTRIAL
RADIATIONS

WRC (World Radiation Center): 1367 W/m2


SPECTRAL ENERGY DISTRIBUTION OF SOLAR
RADIATION
DEPLETION OF SOLAR RADIATION

Absorption:

• Nitrogen, molecular oxygen and other


atmospheric gases

• Ozone

• Water vapor and carbon dioxide

• Dust particles and air molecules


DEPLETION OF SOLAR RADIATION
Scattering:
AIR MASS
AIR MASS
THANK YOU

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