Solar Energy On Earth

The sun is generally considered to produce a constant amount of power although there are small variances in the output energy depending on sunspot cycles with a surface intensity of expressed in units of power per unit area as the sun s rays spread into space this radiation becomes less and less intense as an inverse square law.

Solar energy on earth. Solar energy is the most abundant energy source on the planet. The remaining fraction 5 to 6 percent is absorbed by the atmosphere by greenhouse gas molecules. Natural solar energy greenhouse effect the infrared visible and uv waves that reach the earth take part in a process of warming the planet and making life possible the so called greenhouse effect about 30 of the solar energy that reaches earth is reflected back into space. The earth s surface radiates the net equivalent of 17 percent of the incoming solar energy in the form of thermal infrared.

Solar energy is the transformation of heat the energy that comes from the sun it has been used for thousands of years in many different ways by people all over the world. Enough sunlight hits the earth s surface in 1 1 2 hours to power the entire world s electricity consumption for a year. Solar energy radiation from the sun capable of producing heat causing chemical reactions or generating electricity. As of 2011 the technology produced less than one tenth of one percent of global energy demand.

Solar energy is radiant light and heat from the sun that is harnessed using a range of ever evolving technologies such as solar heating photovoltaics solar thermal energy solar architecture molten salt power plants and artificial photosynthesis. Calculating solar energy to surface energy from sun to earth. The sunlight that reaches earth every day dwarfs all the planet s other energy sources. This solar energy is clearly sufficient in scale to meet all of mankind s energy needs if it can be.

The total amount of solar energy incident on earth is vastly in excess of the world s energy requirements and could satisfy all future energy needs if suitably harnessed. It is an essential source of renewable energy and its technologies are broadly characterized as either passive solar or active solar depending. The rest is absorbed into earth s atmosphere. However the amount that directly escapes to space is only about 12 percent of incoming solar energy.