Renewable Energy Systems

Pankaj Kr.

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Fundamentals of Solar Energy, Radiation
• Sun : Electromagnetic Radiation Source. Solar Radiation ( Heat, Energy)
• Tremendous Energy created within SUN but only a fraction reaches
earth’s Surface.
• Necessary for life (! ? ☼)
• Sufficient for World’s Energy demand (! ?)
• Other renewable Energy Sources.( Hydro, Biomass, Wind, Geothermal)
• Other RES cheaper but less potential.

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Radiation Fundamentals
•

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•

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• Emitted by all objects > 0K
• Temperature is a measure of it
• Entire IR , Visible and portion of UV

Light as portion of Visible of EM Spectrum

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•

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Blackbody radiation
•

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•

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Important Points
•

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 Important
• Points
Electrical heater appears dull red at 1000 K, at 1500 K almost VR so
almost white , White hot.
• Rattlesnakes can sense IR , can prey at night easily.
• White reflects all light so white.
• Black absorbs all so appear black.
• Color of an object in IR is not because of emission unless T > 1000 K
• Green Leaves, Red pigment cloth etc.

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Radiative Properties (Absorptivity, Emissivity,
Reflectivity, Transmissivity)

Emissivity
of materials

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• Wood , Metals , Bricks thermally opaque, surface phenomenon. i.e
thermal radiation emitted and absorbed up to few μm.
• Glass and water allow visible radiation to penetrate, so no surface
phenomenon, but opaque to IR.
• BB a perfect absorber and emitter.
• No body emits greater than BB

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Incident radiation
•

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The Green House
Effect

Spectral transmittivity of glass at room A Green house trap allows solar

temp for different thickness radiation but blocks IR

GHGs: CO2 , Water Vapor , Methane.

Humid Places no large temp variation.
Deserts clear sky so large variation.

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Solar Radiation
• Total solar Irradiance reaching atmosphere Gs = 1373 W/m2 (Solar
Constant)
• Sun our primary energy source. A nuclear reactor 40 million K at core
and 5800 K at surface.
• Sun nearly spherical body with D = 1.393 × 109 m , mass of m ≈ 2 ×
1030 kg .
• mean distance of L = 1.496 × 1011 m from the earth
• Esun ≈ 3.8 × 1026 W.

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How much solar energy reaches the Earth?

As energy moves away from the sun, it is spread over a greater and
greater area.

This is the Inverse Square Law

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So = L / (4 π rs-e2) = 3.9 x 1026 W = 1373 W/m2
4 x π x (1.5 x 1011m)2

So is the solar constant for Earth

It is determined by the distance between Earth (rs-e) and the

Sun and the Sun’s luminosity.
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How much solar energy reaches the Earth?
We can assume solar radiation covers the area of a circle defined by the radius of
the Earth (re).

Ein = So x (area of circle)

Ein = So (W/m2) x π re2 (m2)

re
Ein

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 How much solar energy reaches the Earth?

Ein = So π re2

BUT THIS IS NOT QUITE CORRECT!

**Some energy is reflected away**

re
Ein

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 How much solar energy reaches the Earth?

Albedo (A) = % energy reflected away

Ein = So π re2 (1-A)

re
Ein

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 How much solar energy reaches the Earth?

Albedo (A) = % energy reflected away

A= 0.3 assume

Ein = So π re2 (1-A)

Ein = So π re2 (0.7)

re
Ein

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 Energy Balance:

Incoming energy = outgoing energy

Ein = Eout

Eout

Ein

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 Energy Balance:
Ein = Eout
Ein = So π re2 (1-A)

Eout

Ein

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 Energy Balance:
Ein = Eout
Ein = So π re2 (1-A)

Eout = σ T4(4 π re2)

Eout

Ein

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 Energy Balance:
Ein = Eout

So π re2 (1-A) = σ T4 (4 π re2)

Eout

Ein

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 Energy Balance:
Ein = Eout

So π re2 (1-A) = σ T4 (4 π re2)

Eout

Ein

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 Energy Balance:
Ein = Eout

So (1-A) = σ T4 (4)

Eout

Ein

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Energy Balance:
Ein = Eout

So (1-A) = σ T4 (4)

T4 = So(1-A)
4σ

Eout

Ein

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 T4 = So(1-A)
4σ

If we know So and A, we can calculate the temperature of the Earth. We

call this the expected temperature (Texp). It is the temperature we would
expect if Earth behaves like a blackbody.

This calculation can be done for any planet, provided we know its solar
constant and albedo.

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 T4 = So(1-A)
4σ

For Earth:

So = 1370 W/m2
A = 0.3
σ = 5.67 x 10-8 W/m2K4

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 T4 = So(1-A)
4σ
For Earth:

So = 1370 W/m2
A = 0.3
σ = 5.67 x 10-8

T4 = (1370 W/m2)(1-0.3)
4 (5.67 x 10-8 W/m2K4)

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 T4 = So(1-A)
4σ
For Earth:

So = 1370 W/m2
A = 0.3
σ = 5.67 x 10-8

T4 = (1370 W/m2)(1-0.3)
4 (5.67 x 10-8 W/m2K4)

T4 = 4.23 x 109 (K4)

T = 255 K

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 Expected
Temperature:

Texp = 255 K

(oC) = (K) - 273

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 Expected Temperature:

Texp = 255 K

(oC) = (K) - 273

So….

Texp = (255 - 273) = -18 oC

(which is about 0 oF)

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 Is the Earth’s surface really -18 oC?

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 Is the Earth’s surface really -18 oC?

NO. The actual temperature is warmer!

The observed temperature (Tobs) is 15 oC, or about 59 oF.

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 Is the Earth’s surface really -18 oC?

NO. The actual temperature is warmer!

The observed temperature (Tobs) is 25 oC.

The difference between observed and expected temperatures

(ΔT):

ΔT = Tobs - Texp

ΔT = 25 - (-18)

ΔT = + 43 oC

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 ΔT = + 43 oC

In other words, the Earth is 43 oC warmer than expected based on

black body calculations and the known input of solar energy.

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 ΔT = + 43 oC

In other words, the Earth is 43 oC warmer than expected based on

black body calculations and the known input of solar energy.

This extra warmth is what we call the GREENHOUSE EFFECT.

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 ΔT = + 43 oC

In other words, the Earth is 43 oC warmer than expected based on

black body calculations and the known input of solar energy.

This extra warmth is what we call the GREENHOUSE EFFECT.

It is a result of warming of the Earth’s surface by the absorption of

radiation by molecules in the atmosphere.

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 The greenhouse effect:

Heat is absorbed or “trapped” by gases in

the atmosphere.

Earth naturally has a greenhouse effect of

+43 oC.

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 The concern is that the amount of greenhouse warming will increase with the rise
of CO2 due to human activity.
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The total solar irradiance (also called the solar constant)
represents the rate at which solar energy is incident on a
surface normal to the sun’s rays at the outer edge of the
atmosphere when the earth is at its mean distance from the
sun.

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Direct and Diffuse Radiation
•

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 Direct and Diffuse radiation incident on
horizontal surface on earth’s surface.

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References
• Mehmet Kanoglu , Yunus Cengel, John Cimbala, ‘Fundamentals and
Applications of Renewable Energy Mcgraw Hill Publications’, Mcgraw hill
publications.

• [Link]

• [Link]
y-spectrum_en.html

Thank You !
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