Basics of Solar Energy
The Sun --> Always there; lots of Energy
What Makes the Sun Shine? Nuclear Fusion;
something we may learn how to do later on the Earth
and thus solve our Energy Problem.
How many photons (energy) reach the surface of the
Earth on Average?
The energy balance in the atmosphere is shown here:
The main components in this diagram are the
following:
Short wavelength (optical wavelengths) radiation
from the Sun reaches the top of the atmosphere.
Clouds reflect 17% back into space. If the earth
gets more cloudy, as some climate models
predict, more radiation will be reflected back
and less will reach the surface
8% is scattered backwards by air molecules:
6% is actually directly reflected off the surface
back into space
So the total reflectivity of the earth is 31%. This
is technically known as an Albedo . Note that
during Ice Ages, the Albedo of the earth
increases as more of its surface is reflective. This,
of course, exacerbates the problem.
What Happens to the 69% of the incoming radiation
that doesn't get reflected back:
19% gets absorbed directly by dust, ozone and
water vapor in the upper atmosphere. This
region is called the stratosphere and its heated by
this absorbed radiation. Loss of stratospheric
ozone is causing the stratosphere to cool with
time.
4% gets absorbed by clouds located in the
troposphere. This is the lower part of the earth's
atmosphere where weather happens.
The remaining 47% of the sunlight that is
incident on top of the earth's atmosphere reaches
the surface. This is not a real significant energy
loss.
Cliff Notes Summary
How much energy from the sun reaches the surface of
the Earth on Average?
Note that we measure energy in units of Watt-hours.
A watt is not a unit of energy, it is a measure of
power.
ENERGY = POWER x TIME
1 Kilowatt Hour = 1KWH = 1000 watts used in one
hour = 10 100 watt light bulbs left on for an hour
Incident Solar Energy on the ground:
Average over the entire earth = 164 Watts per
square meter over a 24 hour day
8 hour summer day, 40 degree latitude 600
Watts per sq. meter
So over this 8 hour day one receives:
8 hours x 600 watts per sq. m = 4800 watt-hours
per sq. m which equals 4.8 kilowatt hours per sq.
m
This is equivalent to 0.13 gallons of gasoline
For 1000 square feet of horizontal area (typical
roof area) this is equivalent to 12 gallons of gas
or about 450 KWH
But to go from energy received to energy generated
requires conversion of solar energy into other forms
(heat, electricity) at some reduced level of efficiency.
Efficiency of PV Cells Demo
We will talk more about PV cells in detail later. For
now the only point to retain is that they are quite low
in efficieny!
Collection of Solar Energy
Amount of captured solar energy depends critically
on orientation of collector with respect to the angle of
the Sun.
Under optimum conditions, one can achieve
fluxes as high as 1000 Watts per sq. meter
In the Winter, for a location at 40 degrees
latitude, the sun is lower in the sky and the
average flux received is about 300 Watts per sq.
meter
A typical household Winter energy use is around 3000
KWHs per month or roughly 100 KWH per day.
Assume our roof top area is 100 square meters (about
1100 square feet).
In the winter on a sunny day at this latitude (40o) the
roof will receive about 6 hours of illumination.
So energy generated over this 6 hour period is:
300 watts per square meter x 100 square meters x 6
hours
= 180 KWH (per day) more than you need.
But remember the efficiency problem:
5% efficiency 9 KWH per day
10% efficiency 18 KWH per day
20% efficiency 36 KWH per day
At best, this represents 1/3 of the typical daily Winter
energy usage and it assumes the sun shines on the
rooftop for 6 hours that day.
With sensible energy conservation and insulation and
south facing windows, its possible to lower your daily
use of energy by about a factor of 2. In this case, if
solar shingles become 20% efficient, then they can
provide 50-75 % of your energy needs
Another example calculation for Solar Energy which
shows that relative inefficiency can be compensated
for with collecting area.
A site in Eastern Oregon receives 600 watts per
square meter of solar radiation in July. Asuume that
the solar panels are 10% efficient and that the are
illuminated for 8 hours.
How many square meters would be required to
generate 5000 KWH or electricity
each square meter gives you 600 x.1 = 60 watts
in 8 hours you would gt 8x60 = 480 watt-hours or
about .5 KWH per square meter
you want 5000 KWH
you therefore need 5000/.5 = 10,000 square meters
of collecting area
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