The 23.5° tilt in the Earth's axis of rotation is a more significant factor in determining the amount of sunlight striking the Earth at a particular location. However, the presence of vast oceans moderates the hotter summers and colder winters one would expect to see in the southern hemisphere as a result of this difference. The Earth is nearer the sun when it is summer in the southern hemisphere and winter in the northern hemisphere. When the sun is nearer the Earth, the Earth's surface receives a little more solar energy. The Earth revolves around the sun in an elliptical orbit and is closer to the sun during part of the year. Because the Earth is round, the frigid polar regions never get a high sun, and because of the tilted axis of rotation, these areas receive no sun at all during part of the year. The more slanted the sun's rays are, the longer they travel through the atmosphere, becoming more scattered and diffuse. When the sun's rays are vertical, the Earth's surface gets all the energy possible. The amount of solar radiation that reaches any one spot on the Earth's surface varies according to:īecause the Earth is round, the sun strikes the surface at different angles, ranging from 0° (just above the horizon) to 90° (directly overhead). Basic PrinciplesĮvery location on Earth receives sunlight at least part of the year.
However, the technical feasibility and economical operation of these technologies at a specific location depends on the available solar resource. Solar radiation can be captured and turned into useful forms of energy, such as heat and electricity, using a variety of technologies. Solar radiation, often called the solar resource or just sunlight, is a general term for the electromagnetic radiation emitted by the sun.
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