PV Gap

Elizabeth Said:

How much less solar energy is received at 60 degrees latitude than that received at the Equator?

We Answered:

At 60 degrees latitude (north or south), and averaged over a year, the solar energy level is about 50% to 55% of the level at the equator. That's not counting the effects of clouds.

A lot of the thermal energy at high latitudes comes in on wind and water movement; I guess you could say that is also a very indirect solar energy.

Wesley Said:

What if australia depended on solar energy?

We Answered:

<<And how would we be able to make sure that important buildings like hospitals always have power?>>

Any alternative energy source that is 'intermittent' solar or wind will be built with a storage mechanism, so that when the sun is not shining or the wind is not blowing, you will still have power. If a country were to rely fully on a technology like solar, they would set it up so that while the sun is shining, they would produce much more energy than they need. They would store the rest of the energy using technologies such as molten salt storage, creating hydrogen through electrolysis of water, or just simple batteries.

Likely, a country will never rely fully on one source of energy like this.

Dwayne Said:

How many joules of solar energy fall on your back as you work on your tan for 0.70h?

We Answered:

80% of 1.4 = 1.12 kW / m²

Area = 0.27 * 0.51 = 0.138 m²

Power = 1.12 * 0.138 = 0.154 kW

Energy = Power * Time
Time = 0.7 * 3600 = 2520 seconds

Energy = 0.154 * 2520 = 389 Joules