Solar and Earth Radiation

Abstract

This chapter is concerned with the measurement of solar radiation that reaches the earth’s surface and with the measurement of earth radiation, the long wave band of radiation emitted by the earth. The unit of radiation used in this chapter is the Wm-2. Table 10-1 lists some conversion factors. Radiant flux is the amount of radiation coming from a source per unit time in W. Radiant intensity is the radiant flux leaving a point on the source, per unit solid angle of space surrounding the point, in W sr-1 (sr is a steradian, a solid angle unit). Radiance is the radiant flux emitted by a unit area of a source or scattered by a unit area of a surface in Wm-2 sr-1. Irradiance is the radiant flux incident on a receiving surface from all directions, per unit area of surface, in Wm-2. Absorptance, reflectance, and transmittance are the fractions of the incident flux that are absorbed, reflected, or transmitted by a medium. Global solar radiation is the solar irradiance received on a horizontal surface, Wm-2. This is the sum of the direct solar beam plus the diffuse component of skylight, and is the physical quantity measured by a pyranometer. Direct solar radiation is the radiation emitted from the solid angle of the sun’s disc, received on a surface perpendicular to the axis of this cone, comprising mainly unscattered and unreflected solar radiation in Wm-2. At the top of the atmosphere this is usually taken to be 1367 W m-2 ± 3% due to changes in the earth orbit and due to sunspots. The direct beam is attenuated by absorption and scattering in the atmosphere. The direct solar radiation at the earth’s surface is the physical quantity measured by a pyrheliometer. Diffuse solar radiation (sky radiation) is the downward scattered and reflected radiation coming from the whole hemisphere, with the exception of the solid angle subtended by the sun’s disc in Wm-2. Diffuse radiation can be measured by a pyranometer mounted in a shadow band, or it can be calculated using global solar radiation and direct solar radiation.