Solar Radiation Geometry

Ch.Bhanu prakash,
Assistant Prof.
Department of ME
VIT
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Solar Geometry
Solar Geometry describes the relationship
between the sun and earth or more importantly
The relationship of solar radiation.
The product of the sun with any location on the
earth.

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Important geometrical parameters, which

describe Earth-Sun relations

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Nature of the solar resource

Earths orbit aint circular

Nature of the solar resource

Earths orbit: Variation in radiation

Irradiance (W/m 2)

1,450

1,400

1,350

1,300
Jan

Feb

Mar

Apr

May

Jun

Jul

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Aug

Sep

Oct

Nov

Dec

Nature of the solar resource

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Earth is tilted 23. 45

solstice
Either of the two times in the year, the summer
solstice and the winter solstice, when the sun
reaches its highest or lowest point in the sky at
noon, marked by the longest and shortest days.
Either of the two times a year when the sun is at
its greatest distance from the celestial equator:
about June 21, when the sun reaches its
northernmost point on the celestial sphere, or
about December 22, when it reaches its
southernmost point.
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Nature of the solar resource

Earth is tilted 23.45

On the winter solstice (December 21)

The north pole has its maximum angle of inclination away from
the sun
Everywhere above 66.55 N (90-23.45) is in darkness for 24
hours, Everywhere above 66.55 S is in sunlight for 24 hours
the sun passes directly overhead over the tropic of Capricorn
(23.45 S)
On the equinox (March 22 & September 22)
Both poles are equidistant
the day is exactly 12 hours long
the sun passes directly overhead over the equator
The sun tracks a straight line across the sky
On the summer solstice (June 22)
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The reverse of the winter solstice
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Nature of the solar resource

Solar geometry

Beam
radiation

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Nature of the solar resource

Solar geometry: Hour angle

Beam
radiation

Rotation

Meridian
A meridian (or line of longitude) is the half of an
imaginary great circle on the Earth's surface,
terminated by the North Pole and the South
Pole, connecting points .

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Meridian

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Hour angle
It is the angle through which the earths
must turn to bring the meridian of a point
directly in line with the sun rays.
It is the angle measured in the earths
equatorial plane.
LST

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LST

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Nature of the solar resource

Solar geometry: Sun angles
Zenith

s
s

South

Nature of the solar resource

Solar geometry: Sun angles
z
s
s

= Zenith angle the angle between the

vertical (zenith) and the line of the sun
= Solar attitude angle the angle between the
horizontal and the line to the sun
= Solar azimuth angle the angle of the
projection of beam radiation on the horizontal
plane (with zero due south, east negative and
west positive)

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Incident angle

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Incident angle
It is the angle being measured b/w the
beam of rays and normal to the plane

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Nature of the solar resource

Solar geometry: Sun angles

cos z cos cos cos sin sin

Z

cos s

sin cos cos sin sin

cos s

=
Zenith
Angle
= Latitude
= Declination
= Hour angle
= Solar azimuth
angle
= Solar attitude
angle

Note:
& should be the same sign

Nature of the solar resource

Solar geometry: Sun angles: Sunset angle
and day length

cos s tan tan

= Sunset angle
= Declination
= Latitude

2
Day length cos 1 tan tan
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Note:
Day length is in hours

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Nature of the solar resource

Solar geometry: Collector angles
Zenith

s
s

South

Nature of the solar resource

Solar geometry: Collector angles

= Slope the angle between the plane of the

collector and the horizontal
= Surface azimuth angle the deviation of the
projection on a horizontal plane of the normal
to the collector from the local meridian (with
zero due south, east negative and west
positive)
= Angle of incidence the angle between the
beam radiation on the collector and the normal
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Nature of the solar resource

Solar geometry: Collector angles
Sun angles

cos cos s sin sin sin s

cos s cos sin cos s
sin s cos
Earth angles

cos sin sin cos cos sin cos

cos cos cos cos sin sin cos

cos sin sin sin

=
Angle
of incidence
= Solar attitude
angle
= Surface azimuth
angle
= Solar azimuth
angle
= Collector slope
= Declination
= Latitude
= Hour angle

Nature of the solar resource

Solar geometry: Collector angles
Northern Hemisphere

cos ss tan tan

Southern Hemisphere

cos ss tan tan

ss

= Sunset angle
= Declination
= Latitude
= Collector slope

System design
Irradiance: Variables
Latitude at the point of observation
Orientation of the surface in
relation to the sun
Day of the year
Hour of the day
Atmospheric conditions

System design
Irradiance on a horizontal surface
Gb ,n
Gb
Gb Gb,n cos z

Gb
Gb,n
z

= Beam Irradiance normal to the earths surface (W/m2)

= Beam Irradiance (W/m2)
= Zenith angle

System design
Tilt: Beam radiation
Gb ,n
Gb,T

Gb,t Gb, n cos

Gb,t
Gb,n

= Beam Irradiance normal to a tilted surface (W/m2)

= Beam Irradiance (W/m2)
= Angle of incidence

System design
Tilt: Beam radiation
Gb ,n
Gb ,t
Gb ,n
Gb

Rb,t

Gb ,n cos

cos

Gb Gb ,n cos z cos z
Gb ,t

Solar Angles
Describe the
sun position
relative to a
vertical
surface

Solar Altitude: (beta)

Vertical
angle to
sun
position

Solar Azimuth: (phi)

Horizontal
bearing angle
from south

Surface Azimuth: (psi)

Surface
horizontal
bearing angle
from south

Surface Solar Azimuth:

(gamma)
Angle
between solar
and surface
azimuths
=-

Sign Conventions
Angles east of south
are negative
Angles west of
south are positive

90

-90

45
+

-45
S0

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