Question

sunlight heats up the earth by delivering 1430 w/m2 to the earth. the atmosphere absorbs some of this heat so that it is only 1000 w/m2 on a clear day when it reaches the ground in arizona. a local family wishes to collect this solar heat. for the dish with a diameter 2.1 m, how much energy has been collected in a 30-day month with 12 hrs of sunlight each day ? assume that the dish they installed can track the sun as it traverses the sky.

Answer 1

The Earth absorbs most of the energy reaching its surface, a small fraction is reflected. In total approximately 70% of incoming radiation is absorbed by the atmosphere and the Earth's surface while around 30% is reflected back to space and does not heat the surface.