Solar insolation, what is it?
Solar insolation is a measure of solar radiation energy received on a given surface area in a given time. It is commonly expressed as average irradiance in watts per square meter (W/m2) or kilowatt-hours per square meter per day (kW•h/(m2•day)) (or hours/day). In the case of photovoltaics it is commonly measured as kWh/(kWp•y) (kilowatt hours per year per kilowatt peak rating).
The object or surface that solar radiation strikes may be a planet, a terrestrial object inside the atmosphere of a planet, or any object exposed to solar rays outside of an atmosphere, includingspacecraft. Some of the solar radiation will be absorbed, while the remainder will be reflected. Usually the absorbed solar radiation is converted to thermal energy, causing an increasing in the object’s temperature. Some systems, however, may store or convert a portion of the solar energy into another form of energy, as in the case of photovoltaics or plants.
The amount of insolation received at the surface of the Earth is controlled by the angle of the sun, the state of the atmosphere, altitude, and geographic location.
The insolation into a surface is largest when the surface directly faces the Sun. As the angle increases between the direction at a right angle to the surface and the direction of the rays of sunlight, the insolation is reduced in proportion to the cosine of the angle.
This ‘projection effect’ is the main reason why the polar regions are much colder than equatorial regions on Earth. On an annual average the poles receive less insolation than does the equator, because at the poles the Earth’s surface are angled away from the Sun.
In construction, insolation is an important consideration when designing a building for a particular climate. It is one of the most important climate variables for human comfort and building energy efficiency.
The projection effect can be used in architecture to design buildings that are cool in summer and warm in winter, by providing large vertical windows on the equator-facing side of the building (the south face in the northern hemisphere, or the north face in the southern hemisphere): this maximizes insolation in the winter months when the Sun is low in the sky, and minimizes it in the summer when the noonday Sun is high in the sky.
Solar insolation levels are used to determine what size solar collector is needed to efficiently provide adequate levels of hot water. Geographic locations with low insolation levels require larger collectors than locations with higher insolation levels.
For comparison, consider the average annual insolation levels of these four extreme locations:
Helsinki, Finland = 2,41 kWh/m2/day - very low
Oslo , Norway = 2.27 kWh/m 2/day - very low
Miami , Florida = 5.26 kWh/m 2/day - very high
Central Australia = 5,89 kWh/m2/day - very high
Insolation Levels.
North America.
Average Insolation (kWh/m2/day)
Data provided by NASA
Solar Insolation Map – World.
Solar Insolation Map – USA.
This map shows the amount of solar energy in hours, received each day on an optimally tilted surface during the worst month of the year.
Solar Insolation
