Arno Smets

Introduction to Solar Energy

Solar Light II
Week 1.6.2
`
(Source: NASA)
Atmosphere
~ 8,000km
Atmosphere
Earths Diameter
12,800km
Solar Constant:
Entry point into atmosphere
Intensity ~ 1,350 W/m
2
Wavelength (nm)
250 500 750 1000 1250 1500 1750 2000 2250 2500
5800 K Blackbody Spectrum
0
0.5
1
1.5
2
2.5
Sunlight Top of the Atmosphere
Infrared Visibl
e
UV
S
p
e
c
t
r
a
l

P
o
w
e
r

D
e
n
s
i
t
y
(
W
/
m
2
/
n
m
)
Extraterrestrial solar spectrum
Extraterrestrial and terrestrial solar spectrum
Wavelength (nm)
250 500 750 1000 1250 1500 1750 2000 2250 2500
5800 K Blackbody Spectrum
Radiation at Sea Level
Absorption Bands
H
2
O
CO
2
H
2
O
H
2
O
H
2
O
0
0.5
1
1.5
2
2.5
Sunlight Top of the Atmosphere
Infrared Visibl
e
UV
S
p
e
c
t
r
a
l
I
r
r
a
d
i
a
n
c
e
(
W
/
m
2
/
n
m
)
H
2
O
O
2
O
3
4% 20% 6%
Incoming Solar
Radiation 100%
19% Absorbed
by Atmosphere
and Clouds
Reflected by
Atmosphere
Reflected by
Clouds
51% Absorbed at
Surface
Reflected from
Surface
Losses in Solar Radiation
Sunlight
Atmosphere
Sunlight
Air mass
Y
X
q
1
c
AM
osq

Irradiance and spectral power density for AM1.5

2.00
1.75
1.50
1.25
1.00
0.75
0.50
0.25
0.00 0
0 500 1000 3500 1500
AM1.5
I
r
r
a
d
i
a
n
c
e
I

(
W
m
-
2
)
Wavelength (nm)
P
(
l
)

(
W
m
-
2
n
m
-
1
)
2000 2500 3000 4000
200
400
600
800
1000
hc
) ( P ) (
l
l l
Spectral Photon Flux and Spectral Power
Density
Photon Flux and Spectral Photon Flux

l
l l
0
d ) (
Relation Irradiance and spectral power
density for AM1.5
5
4
3
2
1
0
0 500 1000 350
0
1500
AM1.5
P
h
o
t
o
n

f
l
u
x

(
1
0
2
1
s
-
1
m
-
2
)
Wavelength (nm)
S
p
e
c
t
r
a
l

p
h
o
t
o
n

f
l
u
x
(
1
0
1
8
s
-
1
m
-
2
n
m
-
1
)
2000 2500 3000 400
0
5
4
3
2
1
0
1 sun hour = 1 kWh/m
2
= 1000 W/m
2
x 1 hour
Solar irradiation on Earth
Nominal power Module 100 W
p
(power generated under 1000 W/m
2
, AM1.5)
Solar irradiation on Earth
The Netherlands: 2.7 sun hours/day/year
Solar irradiation on Earth
Output per day:
100 W
p
x 2.7 sunhours =270 Wh Per year: 98.6 kWh
Solar irradiation on Earth
4000 3000 2000 1000 500 400 300 200 100
0.0
0.2
0.4
0.6
0.8
1.0
R
e
s
p
o
n
s
e

[
a
r
b
i
t
r
a
r
y
u
n
i
t
s
]
Wavelength [nm]
Clear Hazy Cloudy
figure 3: spectral shift in diffuse irradiance with sky type
UVB UVA Visible Infrared
D
i
f
f
u
s
e

R
a
d
i
a
t
i
o
n
G
l
o
b
a
l
,

D
i
f
f
u
s
e
,

D
i
r
e
c
t
,

A
t
m
o
s
p
h
e
r
i
c
[
W
/
m
2
]
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23
0
100
200
300
400
500
600
700
800
900
1000
BSRN-Station Lindenberg, 05-03-2004
Source: DWD, Meteorologisches Observatorium Lindenberg
diurnal variation of irriadiance on 05-03-2004
Global Diffuse Direct Atmosphere
Hour [UTC]
U
out
Thermopile
Heatsink
Black Coating
Dome
G
l
o
b
a
l
,

D
i
f
f
u
s
e
,

D
i
r
e
c
t
,

A
t
m
o
s
p
h
e
r
i
c
[
W
/
m
2
]
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23
0
100
200
300
400
500
600
700
800
900
1000
BSRN-Station Lindenberg, 05-03-2004
Source: DWD, Meteorologisches Observatorium Lindenberg
diurnal variation of irriadiance on 05-03-2004
Global Diffuse Direct Atmosphere
Hour [UTC]
G
l
o
b
a
l
,

D
i
f
f
u
s
e
,

D
i
r
e
c
t
,

A
t
m
o
s
p
h
e
r
i
c
[
W
/
m
2
]
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23
0
100
200
300
400
500
600
700
800
900
1000
BSRN-Station Lindenberg, 06-03-2004
Source: DWD, Meteorologisches Observatorium Lindenberg
diurnal variation of irriadiance on 06-03-2004
Global Diffuse Direct Atmosphere
Hour [UTC]
`
(Source: NASA)