Air Mass and Solar Energy
Atmospheric attenuation of solar radiation is not the same for all wavelengths; consequently, passage through the atmosphere not only reduces intensity but also alters the spectral irradiance. Photovoltaic modules are commonly rated using spectral irradiance for an air mass of 1.5 (AM1.5); tables of these standard spectra are given in ASTM G 173-03. The extraterrestrial spectral irradiance (i.e., that for AM0) is given in ASTM E 490-00a.
For many solar energy applications when high accuracy near the horizon is not required, air mass is commonly determined using the simple secant formula described in the section Plane-parallel atmosphere.
Read more about this topic: Air Mass (astronomy)
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