2.

5 Solar Geometry

The earth revolves around the sun in an elliptical orbit with the sun being at one of the foci.
The distance between the sun and earth, therefore changes continually during its revolution
around the sun in about 365 days. The average or the mean Sun-Earth distance is 149.6x106
km. At its perihelion position i.e. when the earth is nearest to the sun on January one, the
distance of earth is about 98.3% of the mean distance. On the other hand, it is farthest on the
aphelion position i.e. on July 2, which is about 101.7% of the mean distance. Because of these
variations in the sun earth distance, the radiant energy cut by the earth also varies by about
+_3% of its normal energy value. The radiant energy falling on a unit area, termed irradiance, at
normal incidence outside the earth atmosphere at mean sun earth distance is termed as solar
constant(S). Thus value of the solar constant varies from day to day depending on the actual
distance from the sun. The present accepted value of solar constant as derived from the
space based measurements is 1367+_7 W/m2.

The fact is that all rays received from the sun can be thought of as being parallel to one
another. It is because the sun is at a very large distance from the earth. Figure 2.4 shows the
different angles at which the solar radiation is received on earth.

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It is quite interesting to know few things about a wide range of solar geometry related
angles as shown below

Solar Geometry-Angle definitions

Type Symbol Name Description Sign Range

Location Latitude Angular North positive -900<-1<-+ 900

location north
or south of
equator
Location Declination Angular North positive -23..450<-d
position of the +23..45023..450
sun at solar
noon with
respect to
equatorial plane
Location Hour-angle Displacement of East negative 150 per hour
the Sun E or W West positive
of due S
Solar position Solar altitude Angle of the Positive 00 at Sunrise,
sun above sunset 00<-
horizon +900

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