Efficiency of solar panels: Earth vs Space

[pempem]

First of all, if this should have went in the Engineering section, I'm sorry... I wasn't sure where to write this post.

If a solar panel on Earth's surface can gather say 100W/m^2 in full sunlight, how much would the same solar panel be able to gather in space, outside of Earth's atmosphere? In other words, how much energy that could be absorbed by a solar panel on Earth is blocked by the atmosphere?

(Assuming the distance between the space solar panel and the Earth solar panel is small compared to the Earth-Sun distance, so the space panel's being closer or farther away from the sun has no bearing)

Can anyone point me to a source that has this information? I tried finding one, but had no luck.

Thanks!

 

[NobodySpecial]

It depends on the wavelenghts the panel responds to and how well those wavelenghts are blocked by the atmosphere. Over most of the visible the atmosphere is pretty much transparent (<1% absorbtion), as you get into the UV the absorption goes up .

You would have to pick a series of wavelength ranges, multiply them by how much the atmosphere absorbs and the efficency of the panel at that wavelength, then for space you just do the efficency of the panel in that band.

You could also take into account that the panel's efficnency changes with temperature - generally they lose efficency as they are heated but I don't know how efficenct they are at the very low temperatures in space.

 

[pempem]

From a quick search I found that most solar panels absorb light in the visible spectrum, and are not very good at absorbing wavelengths outside of that range. So I guess, with what you said, that would mean that the atmosphere should have little bearing on how much energy a solar panel can gather.

Although what you said makes sense, I found an article on Wikipedia that talks about the power per square meter different planets receive. The amount of power per square meter varies inversely with the square of the distance between the planet and the sun. So, for example, the Earth receives more power per square meter than Mars. The article states: "

"Sunlight on Mars would be more or less like daylight on Earth wearing sunglasses [...] it would give perceptions and "feel" very much like Earth daylight."

This is stated in the context of the presence of an atmosphere. This implies that due to the Earth's atmosphere, the surface of Earth and Mars both receive similar amounts of sunlight in the visible spectrum even though the Earth is closer to the sun. This contradicts the notion that light in the visible spectrum doesn't get absorbed (for the most part) by Earth's atmosphere... or am I not thinking of this right?

I found sources that confirm what you said (that visible light goes through the atmosphere for the most part), so you're right - I'm just confused by what the Wiki article states.

 

[Vagn]

What it means is that Polaroid sunglasses 'cut out' half of the radiation entering the eye at a given time. This is compared to the Amount of radiation received per unit area on Mars, which would be about half of the Earth's at perihilion, so it compares it to wearing sunglasses on Earth, the radiation per unit area is lower on Mars than on Earth, as the table in that article shows.

 

[pmacias]

I can provide some information on the efficiency of solar panels on Earth versus in space.

The efficiency of a solar panel is determined by its ability to convert sunlight into usable energy. On Earth's surface, solar panels are affected by various factors such as the angle of the sun, weather conditions, and the presence of clouds or pollution in the atmosphere. These factors can reduce the amount of sunlight reaching the solar panel and therefore decrease its efficiency.

In contrast, solar panels in space are not affected by these factors as they are not hindered by Earth's atmosphere. This allows them to receive a more consistent and direct amount of sunlight, resulting in higher efficiency.

According to NASA, the average efficiency of solar panels on Earth is around 15-20%, while solar panels in space can have an efficiency of up to 40%. This means that a solar panel in space could potentially gather double the amount of energy compared to one on Earth's surface.

However, it is important to note that the cost of launching and maintaining a solar panel in space is significantly higher than on Earth. This cost must be taken into consideration when evaluating the overall efficiency of solar panels in space.

In terms of the specific amount of energy that is blocked by Earth's atmosphere, it is difficult to give an exact number as it varies depending on location, time of day, and weather conditions. However, according to a study by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, the average solar radiation reaching the Earth's surface is 1361 W/m^2, while the solar radiation in space is around 1366 W/m^2, indicating that a small amount of energy is indeed blocked by the atmosphere.

In conclusion, solar panels in space have the potential to be more efficient than those on Earth's surface due to the lack of atmospheric interference. However, the cost and feasibility of launching and maintaining them must also be taken into consideration.

 

[sardar]

I can provide some insights into the efficiency of solar panels on Earth versus in space.

First, it is important to note that the efficiency of solar panels is affected by a number of factors, including the type and quality of the materials used, the angle and orientation of the panels, and the amount of sunlight they receive.

On Earth's surface, solar panels typically have an efficiency of around 15-20%, meaning they can convert 15-20% of the sunlight they receive into usable energy. However, this efficiency can be reduced by various factors such as shading, dust or dirt accumulation, and weather conditions.

In space, solar panels are not affected by these factors and can receive nearly constant direct sunlight. This means that the efficiency of solar panels in space can be significantly higher, reaching up to 30% or more.

Additionally, as you mentioned, the atmosphere does block some of the sunlight that reaches Earth's surface. The amount of energy that is absorbed by the atmosphere varies depending on factors such as the time of day, weather conditions, and location on Earth. However, on average, it is estimated that about 30% of the sunlight is absorbed or scattered by the atmosphere before reaching the Earth's surface.

Therefore, in terms of energy absorption, solar panels in space would be able to gather more energy compared to those on Earth's surface due to the absence of atmospheric interference.

As for specific sources, NASA has conducted numerous studies and experiments on solar panels in space, and their website and publications would be a good place to start for further information. Additionally, there are various scientific articles and journals that discuss the efficiency of solar panels in space.