How much solar force hits the Earth?

In our search for energy to power our activities, man has made a mess of things. Historians will marvel that humans could treat their home in this way. If there is a toxic method to use for energy, we will find it. Look at nuclear power for example. What could be a more dangerous and Rube Goldberg-like plan? Then the meltdowns at Chernobyl and Fukushima occurred and suddenly the horrors of radiation were exposed. The earth is a solar-powered planet but rather than using the sun for power, we drill for dead animals which pollutes our world. In the morning, as we wake up, the sun peeks over the horizon to shed light on us, envelop us with warmth and provide energy to start our day. Our sun’s "juice" runs our planet’s ocean currents, seasons, weather, and climate. Without the Sun, life on Earth would not be possible. For nearly forty years, NASA has been measuring how much sunshine powers this planet.

“You can look at the earth and sun connection as a simple energy balance. If you have more energy absorbed by the Earth than leaving it, its temperature increases and vice versa,” said Peter Pilewskie, a TSIS-1 lead scientist at the Laboratory for Atmospheric Physics (LASP) in Boulder, Colorado. Under the direction of NASA, LASP is giving and administering the instrument’s measurements to the scientific community. “We’re measuring all the radiant energy that is coming to Earth.”

But it’s not really this simple.  The sun’s output energy varies considerably. Over the course of about 11 years, our sun cycles form a relatively tranquil state to a peak in intense solar activity — like bursts of light and solar matter — called a solar maximum. In following years the sun returns to a quiet state and the cycle begins over again. The sun has fewer sunspots — dark areas that are sometimes the source of increased solar activity — and stops producing so many explosions, going through a period called the solar minimum. Over the course of one solar cycle (one 11-year period), the sun’s discharged energy varies on average at about 0.1 percent. That may not sound like a lot, but the sun releases a large amount of energy – 1,361 watts per square meter. Even fluctuations of only a tenth of a percent can affect the earth.

Scientist note magnetic activity

Solar cycles can differ from decade to decade. Scientists have observed unusually quiet magnetic activity from the Sun for the past twenty years with former satellites. During the last extended solar minimum in 2008-2009, our Sun was as calm as it has been observed since 1978. Scientists expect the Sun to enter a solar minimum within the next three years, and TSIS-1 will be ready to take measurements of the next minimum.

Scientific data is also important for understanding the earth's climate through models. Scientists use computer models to understand variations in the sun’s energy input. If less solar energy is possible, scientists can calculate how that will affect earth’s atmosphere, oceans, weather and seasons by using computer simulations. The input from the sun is just one of many determinants scientists used to model the earth’s climate. Earth’s climate is also affected by other factors such as greenhouse gases, clouds spreading light and small particles in the atmosphere called aerosols — all of which are considered in comprehensive climate models.

The time to transition to solar energy is now. Solar panel prices are still low which makes solar an outstanding investment. Please see our informative blog for more information about the specifics of installing solar energy.

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