SOLAR RADIATION EXPLAINED
Solar radiation refers to the energy transmitted from the sun to the earth through the atmosphere . It passes in the atmosphere in form of a beam of short wave rays (solar shortwave radiation) Solar radiation is received in a place during the day in a form of light and it is converted into heat at the earth’s surface The amount of solar radiation received in a place also varies from time to time. The air, clouds , and the ozone in the atmosphere absorb some of this energy while dust particles and clouds reflect and scatter the energy into the space. The earth, therefore, absorbs only a fraction of the energy emitted by the sun. The nature of the earth’s surface (Albedo) is used to express the ability of a surface to reflect insolation Conditions Influencing the In-coming Solar Radiation In an area: Latitude The angular distance of a place from the equator partly determines the distance from the sun to the earth’s surface. This further determines the angle of incidence at which th...