The use of solar energy for electricity supply
Direct utilisation of solar energy presents the greatest potential of all renewable energy sources due to the global radiation supply, which is equivalent to around 7,000 times the current worldwide primary energy demand. This supply is characterised by a very marked geographical dependency, both in terms of quantity and temporal structure. For example, the annual global radiation in central Europe, northern Morocco/southern Spain and in favourable locations in Africa around the 15th parallel north is approximately 1,000, 1,800 and 2,500 kWh/(m2a), where the average radiation in each of the months with the lowest radiation amounts to approximately 17%, 27% and 77% of that in the month with the highest radiation. There are also large local differences in the proportions of direct and diffuse radiation. In the three regions mentioned above, the annual average ratio of diffuse to global radiation is stated as 55%, 30% and 25% of global radiation on a horizontal surface.
The use of solar energy for electricity supply, Page 1 of 2
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