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Solar Constant Calculator

Calculates Power and area with the solar constant, where the Sun is shining on the Earth's surface. The solar constant tells, with which intensity the Sun on average shines vertically on an area on Earth. Its value is 1361 watts per square meter. Hereby, Earth's atmosphere isn't taken into account, the practical value of the incoming radiation changes with weather and other atmospheric conditions. When the air is clear, about 75 percent of the radiation gets to the ground, 25 percent are reflected. Light clouds reflect about half of the radiation

Calculate with

Solar constant GSC:W/m²
Reflection:%
Incoming radiation:W/m²
Area:
Power:

Round to    decimal places.



At solar constant, reflection and incoming radiation, from two values the third can be calculated. From solar constant or incoming radiation, when entering area, power will be calculated and when entering power, area will be calculated. The calculation using the incoming radiation is probably the more realistic one in practice, whereas the calculation using the undiminished solar constant is of theoretical importance and useful for comparisons of different solar power plants. Which value is suited better depends on the individual case.

Example: at 40 percent reflection, 20 square meters on Earth will be irradiated with 16.3 kilowatts by the Sun, if the Sun shines vertically to this area.

The solar constant is not a natural constant. It has a fixed value because the two values ​​on which it depends only change very slightly over time. The sun's radiation output has a rhythm of 11 years, but the difference is less than one per mille. The average value is taken for the distance between the sun and the earth. Here too, the change in distance over time is very small, because the earth's elliptical orbit around the sun is almost circular.


Last updated on 06/26/2025.

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