Solar radiation or heating received at the earth's surface The name is derived from INcoming SOLar radiATION
solar radiation on the surface of the Earth This term has been generally replaced by solar irradiance because of the confusion of the word with insulation
(Contracted from incoming solar radiation) 1 In general, solar radiation received at the earth's surface See terrestrial radiation, extraterrestrial radiation, direct solar radiation, global radiation, effective terrestrial radiation, diffuse sky radiation, atmospheric radiation 2 The rate at which direct solar radiation is incident upon a unit horizontal surface at any point on or above the surface of the earth Compare solar constant
The amount of energy in sunlight reaching an area Usually expressed in watts per square meter (W/m^2), but also expressed on a daily basis as watts per square meter per day (W/m^2/day)
The solar radiation incident on a unit horizontal surface at the top of the atmosphere It is sometimes referred to as solar irradiance The latitudinal variation of insolation supplies the energy for the general circulation of the atmosphere Insolation depends on the angle of incidence of the solar beam and on the solar constant (Source: Carbon Dioxide Information Analysis Center, 1990)
Incident solar radiation The amount of direct, diffused, and reflected solar radiation (all wavelengths) that strikes a surface, measured in Langleys, a unit of heat energy equivalent to one calorie falling on a surface of one square centimeter One Btu per square foot is equivalent to 0 27125 Langley is equivalent to 1136 joules per square meter
the amount of solar energy striking a surface, measured in watts per square meter