Lecture 3

Passive Solar Building Design

Lecture 3 Solar Radiation

ENGR 6951

ENGR 6951
Passive Solar Building Design

Lecture 3

Solar Irradiation (power)

November, 2014 (average of the month)
depending on locations

[http://neo.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov/]

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sunny 1100 W/m2,

cloudy 300 W/m2

Lecture 3

Solar Irradiation (power)

November, 2014 (average of the month)
depending on locations

[http://neo.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov/]

June, 2014
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sunny 1100 W/m2,

cloudy 300 W/m2

Lecture 3

Solar Insolation
Insolation: Incomming Solar Radiation

example: the Netherlands (for learning purpose,

contrast with information for Canada, and
interpret the findings in Canadian context)
annual total, ranging from 944 to 1069 kWh/m2
(sum of solar radiation energy received on a
horizontal surface. Maximum potential, and not
the electricity energy that we can extract from
the PV panel at the current efficiency)
[http://solargis.info]

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Typically given in unit of: Energy per Unit Area

Lecture 3

Solar Insolation

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drastically different among countries. Almost 1700 kWh/m2 in southern Spain,

and >1900 kWh/m2 in the Sahara.

Lecture 3

Daily Avg. Solar Insolation

not only the total is different.
Seasonal variation is different.
Spain ~ 3x
Sahara ~ 2x
(affects sizing strategy)
a cloudy day, not only the total insolation
is lower, but also a higher portion of
diffuse insolation (affects PV installation
strategy).

[ISSO 2012 Zonne-energie]

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Netherlands ~ 10x difference

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Lecture 3

Earths orbit around the sun

Lecture 3

Tilt Angle
Conventional Design Approach
(based on rule of thumb principle)

[Dynamic Solar Tech Inc. 2011]

Passive Solar Building Design

Tilt

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= latitude,
so as to maximize the exposure to
the sun by following the average
annual sun path

Lecture 3

Tilt Angle

Passive Solar Building Design

= latitude (eg. Amsterdam 52,

facing the sun at 38 on average)
= latitude plus 15 for winter-dominant load,
= latitude minus 15 for summer-dominant load

Altitude = 38
(average, at noon)

ep
S
/
r

Ma

latitude as a default design value

Dec
[http://www.jaloxa.eu/]

Difference between Solar Time and Local Mean Time

[PVWatts - http://rredc.nrel.gov/]

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Jun

Lecture 3

Tilt Angle (for direct radiation)

In the Netherlands, on average, about

60% of the radiation is diffuse in nature

[K.A. Lemke, as cited by www.rec-energy.com]

Maximize receival of direct irradiation or

the amount of energy generation (also
consider the fact that PV responses
differently to direct and diffuse radiation)
[ISSO 2012 Zonne-energie]

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Diffuse radiation coming from all angles,

and is best to capture it on horizontal
surface (than tilted ... but have to consider
dirt accumulation)

Passive Solar Building Design

Rule of thumb principle only suggests a tilt

angle that is optimized for direct radiation

Lecture 3

Tilt Angle (for total radiation)

numbers indicate percentage of the maximum available total radiation (direct + diffuse)
received on the tilted surfaces

[ISSO 2012 Zonne-energie]

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a surface with a tilt angle of 35 facing south captures the most total radiation
(compared to 52)

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Lecture 3

Annual PV Potential

[http://pv.nrcan.gc.ca/]

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WP)

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Lecture 3

Monthly PV Potential

23.45N
23.45S

shortest day of the year

[ASHRAE Fundamentals 2013]

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longest day of the year

Lecture 3

Passive Solar Building Design

Motion of Earth around the sun

Passive Solar Building Design

Lecture 3

Solar Declination

23.45N
23.45S
Dec 21 n = 355 = -23.45
shortest day of the year

[ASHRAE Fundamentals 2013]

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longest day of the year

Jan 26 n = 26 = -19.03

Passive Solar Building Design

[ASHRAE Fundamentals 2013]

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sin()sin(L) sin() h
= acos(
)
cos()cos(L)
|h|

Lecture 3

Solar Angles

Passive Solar Building Design

Apparent Solar Time (AST)

Hour Angle (H = 0 at solar noon)

Solar Altitude Angle ()

sin()sin(L) sin() h
= acos(
)
cos()cos(L)
|h|
, declination
angle
L, latitude
Azimuth Angle ()

sin()sin(L) sin() h
= acos(
)
cos()cos(L)
|h|
[ASHRAE Fundamentals 2013]

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Equation of Time (ET)

Lecture 3

Equation of Time / Solar Time

Lecture 3

Clear Sky Solar Radiation

Solar Constant, ESC = 1367 W/m2 (World Meteorological Organization in 1981. It is defined as the
intensity of solar radiation on a surface normal to the suns rays, just beyond the earths atmosphere)

Beam and Diffuse Radiation

[ASHRAE Fundamentals 2013]

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Extraterrestrial solar irradiance incident on a surface normal to the sun ray

Lecture 3

Radiation on a tilted surface

Azimuth Angle ()
Surface Azimuth Angle ()

Solar Altitude Angle ()

Tilt Angle ()
Incidence Angle

sin()sin(L) sin() h
= acos(
)
cos()cos(L)
|h|

Beam Radiation on Tilted Surface

Beam Radiation on Horizontal Surface

Beam Radiation
(Eb)

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Solar Surface Azimuth Angle, =

Lecture 3

Resources
Athienitis, A.K., 2007, Building Thermal Analysis, Electronic Mathcad Book, Mathsoft Inc. (available on Moodle)

Solar Position Calculator, https://www.nrel.gov/midc/solpos/solpos.html

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Mathcad available in the lab (EV 9.143)

Lecture 3

Solar Position

Dec 21, tilt angle at 45.5 + 15

June 21, tilt angle at 45.5 - 15

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Solar Position Calculator, https://www.nrel.gov/midc/solpos/solpos.html

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Lecture 3

Solar Position

Lecture 3

Solar Position
1600

Dec 21, tilt angle at 45.5 + 15

1400

n = 355

1200
1000

Passive Solar Building Design

800
600
400
200
0
8:00

10:00

0 deg

1600 - 15
June 21, tilt angle at 45.5

11:00

12:00

45.5 deg

13:00

14:00

60.5 deg

15:00

16:00

90 deg

1400
1200
1000
800
600
400
200
0
5:00

6:00

7:00

8:00

9:00

0 deg

10:00

11:00

45.5 deg

12:00

13:00

30.5 deg

14:00

15:00

90 deg

16:00

17:00

18:00

19:00

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n= 172

9:00

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Lecture 3

Weather File

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Lecture 3

Weather File