About solar energy

Solar Power

Sunlight contains a vast amount of energy. The power of solar radiation at the Earth's surface is 170,000 terawatts (or 170,000,000,000,000,000 watts), but only a small portion of it is currently harnessed. 

Solar energy is clean and rapidly growing as a form of sustainable energy production. It is also worthwhile to produce solar energy in Finland, although seasonal variations limit the utilization of radiation. In Southern Finland, 90 percent of the radiation energy is obtained between March and September, and the seasonal variations increase as you move northward. Despite this, the annual solar radiation levels in Southern Finland are in the same order of magnitude as in Central Europe. 

Total solar radiation consists of direct radiation from the sun and diffuse radiation. Diffuse radiation includes sunlight scattered by the atmosphere and clouds, as well as ground-reflected diffuse radiation. The placement and tilt angle of solar panels affect the amount of total radiation received. For example, radiation reflected from snow, shiny surfaces, and water can temporarily increase the total radiation received by tilted panels by over 20 percent. By orienting the panels at a 45-degree angle facing south, the amount of usable radiation can be increased by 20–30 percent annually compared to a horizontal installation.