Solar Energy Basics

Part 2

Solar Time
Solar time the time based on the apparent angular
motion of the sun across the sky with solar noon the
time the sun crosses the meridian of the observer.
Solar time = standard time + 4(Lstd-Lloc) + E
E = equation of time in minutes
E = 229.2*(0.000075 + 0.001868*cosB
0.032077*sin B 0.014615*cos2B - 0.04089*sin2B)

Example: Solar Time: At College Station, Texas, what is

the solar time corresponding to 10:30 am Central
Time on October 30th? The longitude of College
Station is -96.32W.
Solution:
1. n = 303
360
360
o

(
303

1
)
*

298
2. B =>
365
365
3. E => E 229.2(0.000075 0.001868 cos(298) 0.032077 sin(298)
0.014615 cos 2(298) 0.04089 sin 2(298)) 16.35 min

4. Longitude correction = 4*(90-96.32)= -25.28min

5. Solar time = 10.5+(-25.28/60)+(16.35/60)=10.35
6. Solar time = 10.35 = 10:21 am
Note: Please remember that the computer uses radians
for angle.

Configurations in Solar Collector

Orientation
Sun

Nomenclature
Zenith angle (z)
Slope ()
Surface azimuth angle ()
Solar azimuth angle (s) for
tilted surface.

Plan view showing solar azimuth angle

Nomenclatures
Latitude, the angular location north or south of the
equator, north positive; -90o-<<90o.
Declination, the angular position of the sun at solar noon
(i.e. when the sun in on the local meridian) with respect to
the plane of the equator, north positive; -23.45o < < 23.45o.
Slope, the angle between the plane of the surface in
question and the horizontal; 0o<<180o. (>90o means that
the surface has a downward-facing component).
Surface azimuth angle, the deviation of the projection on a
horizontal plane of the normal to the surface from the local
meridian, with zero due south, east negative, and west
positive; -180o<<180o.

Nomenclatures
Hour angle, the angular displacement of the sun east or
west of the local meridian due to rotation of the earth on its
axis at 15o per hour; morning negative, afternoon positive.
Angle of Incidence, the angle between the beam radiation
on a surface and the normal to that surface.
z Zenith angle, the angle between the vertical and the line
to the sun, that is, the angle of incidence of beam radiation on
a horizontal surface.
s Solar altitude angle, the angle between the horizontal
and the line to the sun, that is, the complement of the zenith
angle.
s Solar azimuth angle, the angular displacement from south
of the projection of beam radiation on the horizontal plane.

Solar Declination Angle

284 n
23.45 sin 360

365

Where
n = day of the year,
n = 1 for January 1st

Suns Incidence Angle

cos sin sin cos sin cos sin cos
cos cos cos cos
cos sin sin cos cos
cos sin sin sin

Hour Angle
sin(alpha) - sin .sin
Sin ( )

cos cos

Note that at solar noon the hour angle equals zero and since the hour angle
changes at 15 per hour it is a simple matter to calculate the hour angle at any
time of day. The hour angles at sunrise and sunset (S) are very useful quantities
to know. Numerically these two values have the same value however the sunrise
angle is negative and the sunset angle is positive

http://www.itacanet.org/the-sun-as-a-source-of-energy/part-3-calculating-solarangles/

1.

Example. Calculate the angle of incidence of beam radiation

on a surface located in College Station, Texas at 10:30 am
(solar time) on October 30 if the surface is tilted 30o from the
horizontal and pointed 15o west of south. The latitude of
College Station is 30.61oN.
Solution:
n = 303; =-22.5o; =15o; = 30o; =30.61oN

2.
3.

284 303
14.74
365

23.45 sin 360

cos , Angle of incidence.

cos sin(14.74) sin(30.61) cos(30) sin(14.74) cos(30.61) sin(30) cos(15)

cos(14.74) cos(30.61) cos(30) cos(22.5)
cos(14.74) sin(30.61) sin(30) cos(15) cos(22.5)
cos(14.74) sin(30) sin(15) sin(22.5)

4.

= 33.8o

Hour Angle
The hour angle measures time after
solar noon in terms of one degree
for every four minutes, or fifteen
degrees per hour. Time after solar
noon is expressed using a positive
hour angle, and time before solar
noon, a negative hour angle.
Therefore, at two hours before solar
noon, the hour angle is -30 degrees,
and at two hours after solar noon it
is +30 degrees. Hour angle is
expressed in angular units
(degrees).

New Equation for Declination

0.006918 0.399912 cos B 0.070257 sin B
0.006758 cos 2 B 0.000907 sin 2 B
0.002679 cos 3B 0.00148 sin 3B

360
B n 1
, in degree
365
Example. Calculate the declination on October 30?

360
o
B 303 1
298
365
0.006918 0.399912 cos 298 0.070257 sin 298
0.006758 cos(2 * 298) 0.000907 sin(2 * 298)
0.002679 cos(3 * 298) 0.00148 sin(3 * 298) 13.53o
Compare this with -14.74 in previous example (8% difference)

Common Cases Equations

Fixed surfaces sloped toward south or north
cos sin sin cos sin cos sin cos
cos cos cos cos cos sin sin cos cos
Vertical surfaces
cos sin cos cos cos sin cos cos cos sin sin

Horizontal surfaces
cos z cos cos cos sin sin

Sunset hour angle (z=90o) and day length N

sin sin
2
cos s
N cos 1 (tan tan )
cos cos
15

Example: Calculate the sunset hour angle, time of sunrise

and the solar altitude angle at 4:00 pm solar time on
October30 at College Station.
Solution:
1. Determine the Sunset hour angle
sin sin
cos cos

s cos 1

cos 1 tan tan cos 1 ( tan 30.61* tan 13.53) cos 1 (0.1424) 81.8o

s 81.8o ; Equivalent to sunrise of 6 : 33 am solar time

2. Determine solar altitude angle

cos z sin(90 z) sin s

s sin 1 (cos cos cos sin sin )

s sin 1 (cos 30.61cos(13.53) cos(60) sin(30.61) sin(13.53)) sin 1 0.299 17.4o

Hour Angle
The hour angle measures time after
solar noon in terms of one degree
for every four minutes, or fifteen
degrees per hour. Time after solar
noon is expressed using a positive
hour angle, and time before solar
noon, a negative hour angle.
Therefore, at two hours before solar
noon, the hour angle is -30 degrees,
and at two hours after solar noon it
is +30 degrees. Hour angle is
expressed in angular units
(degrees).

Calculate the number of daylight hours on October

30 in College Station, Texas (=30.61o)?
Solution:
1. Calculate B for n = 303
B 303 1

360
298o
365

2. Calculate declination
0.006918 0.399912 cos 298 0.070257 sin 298
0.006758 cos(2 * 298) 0.000907 sin(2 * 298)
0.002679 cos(3 * 298) 0.00148 sin(3 * 298) 13.53o

3. Calculate N
N

2
2
cos 1 (tan tan ) cos 1 tan 30.61 tan(13.53) 10.9 hrs
15
15

Daily and Hourly Solar Radiation on a

Horizontal Surface
Ho

24 3600Gsc

360n

1 0.033 cos
cos cos sin s s sin sin

365
180

Where
Ho=daily solar radiation on a horizontal surface in the absence of atmosphere

Io

12 3600Gsc
360n
(2 1 )

sin sin
1 0.033 cos
cos sin (sin 2 sin 1 )

365
180

Where
Io = hourily solar radiation on a horizontal surface in the
absence of atmosphere between the hours defined by
hour angle 1 (1) and hour angle 2 (2).

Example: What is the days solar radiation on a horizontal

surface in the absence of atmosphere at College Station on
October 30th?
Solution:
1. n = 303; =30.61o;B=298o; =-13.53o; s= 81.8
Ho

Ho

24 3600Gsc
s
360n

0
.
033
cos

cos

cos

sin

sin

sin

365
180

cos 30.61cos(13.53) sin(81.8)

24 3600 1367
360(303)

1 0.033 cos
(81.8)

365
sin 30.61sin(13.53)

180

MJ
H o 25.13 2
m day

Example: What is the hourly solar radiation on a horizontal

surface in the absence of atmosphere at College Station on
October 30th between 10-11am?
Solution:
1. n = 303; = 30.61o; B = 298o to get =-13.53o
2. 1= -30o; 2= -15o
Io

Io

12 3600Gsc
360n
(2 1 )

sin sin
1 0.033 cos
cos sin (sin 2 sin 1 )

365
180

12 3600 1367
360 303
(15 (30))

sin 30.61sin(13.53)
1 0.033 cos
cos 30.61sin(13.53)(sin(15) sin(30))

365
180

MJ
I o 3.2 2 , spreadsheet answer
m

Clearness Index, Kt

Solar Radiation Data (College Station)

Kt = ratio of a particular
days radiation to the
extraterrestrial
radiation that day.
Kt = H/Ho
It express the amount
of intensity that is lost
through absorption.

Month

Ho

MJ/m2

MJ/m2

Kt

January

5.93

20.91

0.28

February

7.60

25.86

0.29

March

10.33

31.56

0.33

April

11.99

36.74

0.33

May

13.89

39.97

0.35

June

12.62

41.18

0.31

July

18.21

40.56

0.45

August

20.72

38.1

0.54

September

17.31

33.77

0.51

October

12.99

28.07

0.46

November

8.49

22.53

0.38

December

10.05

19.67

0.51

Mean

12.51

31.58

0.40

Sizing of Photovoltaic System

Estimation of global radiation using clearness
index model for sizing photovoltaic system
http://www.physics.arizona.edu/~cronin/Solar/References/Irradiance%20M
odels%20and%20Data/KUU05.pdf

Solar Conversion Devices

Solar Refrigerator
Absorption
Use of electricity and refrigerants

Solar Dryers
Space heaters

Solar Water Heaters

Solar photovoltaic cell (PV)
For power generation
For electrolysis

Rule of thumb
(tan tan ) 1 there is no sunset, i.e. 24
hours of daylight;
(tan tan ) 1 there is no sunrise, i.e. 24
hours of darkness.

http://www.itacanet.org/the-sun-as-a-source-of-energy/