Starship Asterisk*

BDanielMayfield wrote: ↑Sat Apr 20, 2019 9:01 pm
Does the Sun's energy output change during periods of low sunspot activity?

Edit clarification of question: Does the average solar energy output go up or down depending on sunspot activity?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solar_cycle#Solar_irradiance wrote:
<<Total solar irradiance (TSI) varies in phase with the solar magnetic activity cycle with an amplitude of about 0.1% around an average value of about 1361.5 W/m² (the "solar constant"). Variations about the average of up to −0.3% are caused by large sunspot groups and of +0.05% by large faculae and the bright network on a 7-10-day timescale. TSI is higher at solar maximum, even though sunspots are darker (cooler) than the average photosphere. This is caused by magnetized structures other than sunspots during solar maxima, such as faculae and active elements of the "bright" network, that are brighter (hotter) than the average photosphere. They collectively overcompensate for the irradiance deficit associated with the cooler, but less numerous sunspots. The primary driver of TSI changes on solar rotational and sunspot cycle timescales is the varying photospheric coverage of these radiatively active solar magnetic structures.>>