Solar technologies are broadly characterized as either passive solar or active solar depending on the way they capture, convert and distribute solar energy. Active solar techniques include the use of photovoltaic panels and solar thermal collectors to harness the energy. Passive solar techniques include orienting a building to the Sun, selecting materials with favorable thermal mass or light dispersing properties, and designing spaces that naturally circulate air.
The Earth receives 174 petawatts (PW) of incoming solar radiation (insolation) at the upper atmosphere.Approximately 30% is reflected back to space while the rest is absorbed by clouds, oceans and land masses. The spectrum of solar light at the Earth's surface is mostly spread across the visible and near-infrared ranges with a small part in the near-ultraviolet.
Earth's land surface, oceans and atmosphere absorb solar radiation, and this raises their temperature. Warm air containing evaporated water from the oceans rises, causing atmospheric circulation or convection. When the air reaches a high altitude, where the temperature is low, water vapor condenses into clouds, which rain onto the Earth's surface, completing the water cycle.
SOURCE: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solar_energy
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| Yearly Solar fluxes & Human Energy Consumption | |
|---|---|
| Solar | 3,850,000 EJ[7] |
| Wind | 2,250 EJ[8] |
| Biomass | 3,000 EJ[9] |
| Primary energy use (2005) | 487 EJ[10] |
| Electricity (2005) | 56.7 EJ[11] |
