Chapter 2: Available Solar Radiation

2.1 Definitions 2.14 Radiation on Sloped Surfaces

2.2 Pyrheliometers and Pyrheliometric Scales 2.15 Radiation on Sloped Surfaces:
2.3 Pyranometers Isotropic Sky
2.4 Measurement of Duration of Sunshine 2.16 Radiation on Sloped Surfaces:
2.5 Solar Radiation Data Anisotropic Sky
2.6 Atmospheric Attenuation of SR 2.17 Radiation Augmentation
2.7 Estimation of Average Solar Radiation 2.18 Beam Radiation on Moving Surfaces
2.8 Estimation of Clear-Sky Radiation 2.19 Average Radiation on Sloped Surfaces:
2.9 Distribution of Clear and Cloudy Days Isotropic Sky
and Hours 2.20 Average Radiation on Sloped Surfaces:
2.10 Beam and Diffuse Components of KT Method
Hourly Radiation 2.21 Effects of Receiving Surface Orientation
2.11 Beam and Diffuse Components of on HT
Daily Radiation 2.22 Utilizability
2.12 Beam and Diffuse Components of 2.23 Generalized Utilizability
Monthly Radiation 2.24 Daily Utilizability
2.13 Estimation of Hourly Radiation from
Daily Data

2.1 Definition
A- Short wave radiation: is radiation originating from the sun, in the wavelength range of 0.3 to 3 μm.
B- Long wave radiation: is radiation originating from sources at temperatures near ordinary ambient
temperatures and thus substantially all at wavelengths greater than 3 μm.

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2.7 Estimation of Average Solar Radiation

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2.8 Estimation of Clear-Sky Radiation
The atmospheric transmittance for beam radiation τb is Gbn/Gon

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2.9 Distribution of Clear and Cloudy Days and Hours

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2.10 Beam and Diffuse Components of Hourly Radiation

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2.11 Beam and Diffuse Components of Daily Radiation

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2.12 Beam and Diffuse Components of Monthly Radiation

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2.13 Estimation of Hourly Radiation From Daily Data

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2.14 Radiation on Sloped Surfaces
The three parts of diffuse radiation
The first is an isotropic part, received uniformly from the entire sky dome. The
second is circumsolar diffuse, resulting from forward scattering of solar radiation
and concentrated in the part of the sky around the sun. The third, referred to as
horizon brightening, is concentrated near the horizon and is most pronounced in
clear skies..

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2.15 Hourly Radiation on Sloped Surface :
ISOTROPIC SKY
Ac I T  Ac I b Rb  As Fs c I d ,iso  ρIAg Fg c
    
beam isotropic ground  reflected
diffuse

Reciprocity: As Fs  c  Ac Fc  s Ag F f  c  Ac Fc  g
1  cos β   1  cos β 
If isotropic: Fc  s    Fc  g   
 2   2 

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2.16 Hourly Radiation on Sloped Surface :

ANISOTROPIC SKY (Improved)
AC I T  Ac I b Rb  Ac I d , cs Rb  As Fs  c I d , sky  Ahz Fhz  c I d , hz  ρIAg Fg  c
        
beam circumsolar sky diffuse horizon ground  reflected
brightenin g

- The magnitude and direction of each contribution needs to be

estimated Hay and Davies: Circumsolar
I 
I d ,cs  I d Ai where Ai   b   anistropy index

 Io 
- Klutcher and Reindl: Sky Diffuse & Horizon Brightening


I d ,cs  I d (1  Ai ) 
 1  cosβ  
 1  f sin (β / 2) 
3
 where f 
Ib
  2   I

  1  cosβ 
I T  ( I b  Ai I d ) Rb  I d (1  Ai )
2
 
  1  cosβ 
 1  f sin 3 (β / 2)   ρ g I  
     2 

the HDKR model Eq. 2.16.7 34

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The Perez model

The clearness parameter

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2.17 Radiation Augmentation
• All methods of estimating radiation on a tilted surface
need the beam and diffuse on a horizontal surface
• Beam may be available from measurements of direct (beam)
normal: Averaging over an hour:

I b  I b, n cos 
Id  I  Ib

• Often direct normal or diffuse radiation measurements

are not available, so beam and diffuse must be estimated.

• Estimates are usually made in terms of the clearness

index, kT, where I
kT 
Io
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The total radiation reflected from surface r with area Ar to surface c with area Ac if r
has a diffuse reflectance of ρr is

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2.18 Beam Radiation on Moving Surfaces
Most concentrating collectors utilize beam radiation only and move to ‘‘track’’ the sun.
At any time the beam radiation on a surface is a function of Gbn, the beam radiation
on a plane normal to the direction of propagation of the radiation:

Equation 2.18.1 can be written for an hour, in terms of I rather than G, and the angles
calculated for the midpoint of the hour.

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2.19 Average Radiation on Sloped Surface:
ISOTROPIC SKY (Liu-Jordan method)

Where H d / H is a function of KT , as shown in Figure 2.12.2.

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In the northern hemisphere

In the southern hemisphere

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The results for the 12 months are shown in the table below. Energy quantities are in
megajoules per square meter.

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2.20 Average Radiation on Sloped Surface:
ANISOTROPIC SKY (KT method)

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2.21 Effects of Receiving Surface Orientation on HT

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2.22 Utilizability:

• Utilizability relates to the distribution of solar radiation.

• Formally defined: utilizability is the fraction of the

radiation above a specified “critical” level.

• Utilizability can be defined on average hourly and daily

time scales.

• Why do we need to know utilizability?

– not needed when simulating with sufficient short-term data
– allows calculations at larger time intervals without loss of
information
– provides insight into solar processes

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• An energy balance on a simple solar system shows that

the energy gain is the absorbed solar minus losses.

• There is a radiation level needed to maintain the collector

at its temperature (in a colder environment).

• Only radiation above this level contributes to the energy gain.

• In some situations, energy above a critical level is not useful,

e.g., passive solar heating and photovoltaic applications.

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2.23 Generalized Utilizability:

-The most available radiation data are the Monthly averaged
daily on horizontal surface.

- We will find the utilizability from K T

- Monthly-average daily radiation on a tilted surface

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2.24 Daily Utilizability:

This daily utilizability is defined as the sum for a month (over all hours and days) of
the radiation on a tilted surface that is above a critical level divided by the monthly
radiation.

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