Solar Energy Resource and Its Global Distribution

Abstract

The sun is an extremely powerful energy resource, and the solar energy is an important renewable energy. Solar energy can be used for producing heat and generating electricity. The amount of solar energy incident on earth is enormous, and it is larger than current and predicted energy requirements in the future. In this chapter, the basic concepts and parametrical performance of the sun and its radiation across the space and earth surface including solar irradiance on earth(i.e., diffuse irradiance and direct normal irradiance, the solar constant, extraterrestrial solar spectrum, extraterrestrial solar irradiance, and extraterrestrial solar radiation on a surface), ground-level solar radiation characteristics(atmosphere effects and solar spectrum), solar angles(i.e., the earth–sun angles, hour angle, declination angle, latitude angle, solar altitude, zenith, and azimuth angles), are described. Solar energy global distribution by belt and nation at variable geometrical regions on the globe is also presented.