UNIT – 2

SOLAR ENERGY
• Energy from the sun is called solar energy. The Sun’s energy
comes from nuclear fusion reaction that takes place deep in the
sun.
• Hydrogen nucleus fuse into helium nucleus. The energy from
these reactions flow out from the sun and escape into space.
• Solar energy is some times called radiant energy. The different
kinds of radiant energy emitted by sun are light, infrared rays,
Ultra violet rays, and X- Rays.
• The sun is a large sphere of very hot gases. It’s diameter is
1.39x106 KM. While that of the earth is 1.27x104 KM. The
mean distance between the two is 1.5x108 KM.
• Although the sun is large, it subtends an angle of only 32
minutes at the earth’s surface. This is because it is also a very
large distance.
• The brightness of the sun varies from its center to its edge.
However for engineering calculations, it is customary to assume
that the brightness all over the solar disc in uniform.
• The beam radiation received from the sun on the earth is
reflected in to space, another 15% is absorbed by the earth
atmosphere and the rest is absorbed by the earth’s surface.
• The solar energy that falls on India in one minute is enough to
supply the energy needs of our country for one day. Man has
made very little use of this enormous amount of solar energy
that reaches the earth.

Solar Constant (Isc)

The rate at which solar energy arrives at the top of the atmosphere is called
solar constant.
Or
The amount of energy received in unit time on a unit area perpendicular to the
sun’s direction at the mean distance of the earth from the sun.
 The National Aeronautics and Space Administration’s (NASA) sets
standard value of solar constant(Isc), it is 1.353 kilowatts per square
meter.
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  The earth revolves around the sun in an elliptical orbit having a very
small eccentricity. Consequently, the distance between earth and sun
varies a little through the year. Because of this variation, the extra
terrestrial flux also varies. The value on any day can be calculated from
the equation.

360n
I I I 0.033 cos
365
where n is the day of the year.

Solar Radiation Received at the Earth’s surface

Instruments for measuring solar radiation and sun shine

• Solar Radiation flux is usually measured with the help of a pyranometer
or a Pyrheliometer,
• sunshine recorder is used for measuring sunshine.

Pyranometer
1. Black surface
2. Glass domes
3. Guard plate
4. Leveling screws
5. mounting plate
6. Grouted bolts
7. platform

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Pyrheliometer
1. tube blackened on inside surface
2. Baffle
3. Alignment indicator
4. Black absorber plate
5. thermopile junctions
6. two-axis tracking mechanism

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SOLAR RADIATION GEOMETRY

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Definitions:

1) Solar altitude angle(α):

Altitude Angle is the angle between the Sun’s rays and projection of
the Sun’s rays on the horizontal plane
2) Zenith angle(θz):
It is Complementary angle of Sun’s Altitude angle.
It is a vertical angle between Sun’s rays and line perpendicular to the
horizontal plane through the point i.e. angle between the beam and the
vertical. θz =π/2-α
3) Solar Azimuth Angle(γs):
It is the solar angle in degrees along the horizon east or west of north.
or
It is the horizontal angle measured from north to the horizontal
projection of sun’s rays.

4) Declination(δ):
• It is the angle between a line extending from the centre of the
Sun and center of the earth and projection of this on earth’s
equatorial plane.
• Declination is the direct consequence of earth’s tilt and It would
vary between 23.5o on June 22 to – 23.5o on December 22. On
equinoxes of March 21 & Sept 22 declination is zero.
• The declination is given by the formula

Where n is the day of the year.

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 Fig: Variation of declination over the year

5) Meridian:
• Meridian is the imaginary line passing through a point or place
on earth and north and south poles of the earth’.
6) hour angle(ω):
• Hour angle is the angle through which the earth must turn to
bring meridian of the point directly in line with the sun’s rays.
• Hour angle is equal to 15o per hour.
7) slope(β):
• Angle between the collector surface with the horizontal plane is
called slope(β).
8) surface azimuth angle(γ):
• Angle between the normal to the collector and south direction is
called surface azimuth angle(γ)
9) Solar Incident angle(θ):
• It is the angle between an incident beam radiation falling on the
collector and normal to the plane surface
10) latitude(ϕL):
• It is the angle made by the radial line joining the location to the
centre of the earth with the projection of the line on the
equatorial plane.

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Local apparent time
• The time used for calculating the hour angle ( ω ) is the local
apparent time.
• Local apparent time = standard time ± 4 (standard time
longitude – longitude of location) + equation of time correction
• The equation of time correction in minutes is given by
E = 229.18(0.000075+0.001868 cos B – 0.032077 sin B – 0.014615
cos 2B – 0.04089 sin 2B)
Where B = (n-1) 360/365 and n is the day of the year.

Apparent motion of the sun

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