SOLAR ENERGY

Is it important to study about Solar Energy? Before answering such question, it is

necessary to learn about the idea of solar energy. Its significance will only be emphasized when
we gain more knowledge about it. First and foremost, we must know the characteristics of the
source of solar energy- the sun. The sun has a mass of approximately 1.98892 x 1030 kg and a
diameter of 1,391,000 km. It has a surface gravity of 27.94 g, a volume of 1.412 x 10 18 km3,
and a density of 1.622 x 105 kg/m3.

The power of the sun that strikes the earth reaches 174 petawatts and an average of
1000 watts of solar energy falls on each square meter of the earth. The actual solar radiation
that reaches the earth’s surface depends on a number of factors such as altitude, time of day,
Terrain angle and direction, shadows from objects like trees and buildings, air quality and
clouds. Solar radiation pass through multiple barriers before it reaches Earth’s surface. The
first barrier is the atmosphere. About 26% of the sun’s energy is reflected or scattered back
into space by clouds and particulates in the atmosphere. Another 18% of solar energy is
absorbed in the atmosphere. Ozone absorbs ultraviolet radiation, while carbon dioxide and
water vapor can absorb infrared radiation. The remaining 56% of solar radiation can reach the
surface. Some of this light is reflected of off to snow or other bright ground surfaces so only
48% is available to be absorbed by land or water. The radiation that reaches the surface can be
divided into two specific kinds. Approximately half of it is visible light and the other half is
infrared light. (Latsch, 2012)

It is also important to know more about the effects of the positioning of the sun on the
earth’s surface and the amount of energy that falls on a fixed area of the earth. The lower the
sun is in the sky, the less energy falls on a fixed area of the earth. Only a quarter as much energy
falls on a square mile when the sun is 30 degrees above the horizon as does when the sun is
overhead. This factor explains the seasons.

In order to further understand the positioning of the sun, we must consider the solar
angles which are the altitude and the azimuth. These describe the sun position relative to a
vertical surface. The altitude is the vertical angle to the sun position while the azimuth is the
horizontal bearing angle from south. One more factor that we have to consider is the profile
angle which defines the limits of shade conditions.

Understanding all these factors will give us more idea on how we can effectively make
use of the solar energy or solar power. It is evident that human beings use a massive amount of
energy in their own homes. If we have to consider the worldwide consumption of energy, we
can then assume that as technology advances, our sources of energy will no longer be enough
to cater our energy needs. This is because most of our machines depend on a power source.

Going back to the question, is it important to study solar energy? Yes. It is indeed
important to know more about solar energy. Analyzing solar energy is a big help in choosing
croplands, selecting building sites and estimating potential for solar energy. These are some of
the reasons why it is important to know more about solar energy. It touches the concerns of
human beings.