SOLAR CHART

By Rohit Patel

Sun Path Diagrams

Sun-path diagrams or solar charts are
the simplest practical tools for depicting
the suns apparent movement.
The sky hemisphere is represented by a
circle (the horizon).
Azimuth angles (i.e. the direction of the
sun) are given along the perimeter and
Altitude angles (from the horizon up) are
shown by a series of concentric circles,
90 (the zenith) being the centre.

 The sun-path lines are plotted on this chart for a given

latitude for the solstice days, for the equinoxes and for any
intermediate dates.
For an equatorial location (LAT = 0) the diagram will be
symmetrical about the equinox sun-path, which is a straight
line; for higher latitudes the sun-path lines will shift away
from the equator.
For a polar position the sun-paths will be concentric circles
(or rather an up and down spiral) for half the year, the
equinox path being the horizon circle, and for the other half
of the year the sun will be below the horizon.
The shifting of sun-paths with geographical latitudes is
illustrated by the following Figures.
The date-lines (sun-path lines) are intersected by hour lines.
The vertical line at the centre is noon.

 Use a Sun Path Diagram to find solar altitude and

azimuth for any given time, to help in sizing
shading devices.
Choose the sun path diagram with latitude closest
to your site.
Find the intersection of the two curves
corresponding to the month and hour of interest.
From this point, read solar altitude from scale at
right and read solar azimuth from scale below.
This is the suns position at thatmonth and hour.

SHADING DEVICES
1. Vertical devices, e.g. vertical louvres or projecting fins.
. These are characterised by horizontal shadow angles (HSA) and
their shading mask will be of a sectoral shape.
. By convention HAS is measured from the direction of orientation
(i.e. From the surface normal), positive in clockwise and
negative in the anticlockwise direction.
. The HSA cannot be greater than 90 or less than 90, as that
would indicate that the sun is behind the building.
. These devices may be symmetrical, with identical performance
from left and right, or asymmetrical.
. They are most effective when the sun is towards one side of the
direction the window is facing.
. We may distinguish the device HSA (as above) and the solar
HSA, which is the required performance at a given time.

2. Horizontal devices, e.g. projecting eaves, a horizontal

canopy or awning, or horizontal louvres and slats.
. These are characterised by a vertical shadow angle (VSA).
. One large or several small elements may give the same
performance, the same vertical shadow angle.
. Their shading mask, constructed by using the shadow angle
protractor , will be of a segmental shape.
. They are most effective when the sun is near-opposite to the
window considered.
. Figure shows a canopy with a device VSA of 60.
. The solar VSA is the same as the ALT (altitude) only when the sun
is directly opposite the window (when AZI = ORI, or solar HSA = 0).
. When the sun is to one side of the surface normal, its altitude must
be projected onto a vertical plane perpendicular to the window.

 Egg-crate devices, e.g. concrete grilleblocks, metal grilles.

These produce complex shading masks,
combinations of the above two and cannot be
characterized by a single angle.
An example of this is shown in Figure.

Sizing Overhangs and

Fins
Use these equations to find starting dimensions for
shading elements. Do the calculations to find:
depth required for a shading element, or
extent of shadow cast by a shading element with given depth.

For each facade, select a critical month and time for

shading.
Suggested: south windows use September noon, east
use September 10 am, west use September 3 pm, or
ask mechanical engineer for estimate of peak cooling
time in east, south, and west zones.
Find solar altitude and azimuth for target month/hour
from the sun path diagrams.

 Use the formulas below to size overhang, fin, or both.

Results are a minimum starting point.
If overhang is too big, try breaking it into several
smaller elements or dropping part of it down for an
equivalent depth.
If sizing overhang for east or west window, you may
notice that a fin must be added for adequate shading;
otherwise overhang becomes unreasonably deep.
Improvements: Extend ends of overhang wider than
window or use a continuous element.Make overhang
deeper or add another horizontal element part-way
down the window. Add vertical elements to the scheme.