Solar irradiation through the atmosphere depends directly on the altitude of the Sun.
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Reference data mentions solar irradiance depends on factors like the sun's distance and the earth's tilt, but does not sufficiently support that it depends directly on the altitude of the sun.
The sun is the main source of renewable energy. It emits radiation at an equivalent black body temperature of about 6,000 K with a constant intensity outside the earth’s atmosphere. Only direct (beam) radiation is available outside the earth’s atmosphere. As solar radiation propagates through the atmospheric matter, it is attenuated, producing direct and diffuse components which reach the earth surface. Only the direct component can be focused and is, therefore, useful in the development of concentrating solar power (CSP) technologies. Absorption of solar radiation by a receiving surface is maximum when the angle of incidence is zero, and the surface is said to receive direct normal irradiation. The recommended minimum annual sum of direct normal irradiation for CSP technology to be economically viable is 2,000 kWh/m2, and many locations within the sunbelt meet this threshold. It has been found that the worldwide technical potential of CSP is estimated at 3,000,000 TWh/year which significantly exceeds the world electricity consumption level of about 29,000 TWh/year in 2015. This level of solar energy resource availability is attractive for the advancement of the solar gas turbine technology.
function of distance from the Sun, the solar cycle, and cross-cycle changes. Irradiance on the Earth's surface additionally depends on the tilt of the measuring
Solar irradiance is the power per unit area (surface power density) received from the Sun in the form of electromagnetic radiation in the wavelength range of the measuring instrument.
Solar irradiance is measured in watts per square metre (W/m2) in SI units.
Solar irradiance is often integrated over a given time period in order to report the radiant energy emitted into the surrounding environment
Average annual solar radiation arriving at the top of the Earth's atmosphere is roughly 1361 W/m2. The Sun's rays are attenuated as they pass through the atmosphere, leaving maximum normal surface irradiance at approximately 1000 W/m2 at sea level on a clear day. When 1361 W/m2 is arriving above the atmosphere (when the Sun is at the zenith in a cloudless sky), direct sun is about 1050 W/m2, and global radiation on a horizontal surface at ground level is about 1120 W/m2.
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