Solar Energy Vol. 4}. No. I. pp. 19-25. 1990 Printed to the USA OOJMS2X/90 SJ.OO + .

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O 1990 Prrgiraoa Pro* pk

SOLAR RADIATION ON INCLINED SURFACES

K. K. GOPINATHAN
Department of Physics, National University of Lesotho, Roma, Lesotho. Southern Africa
Abstract—Measured solar radiation data for one location in Lesotho is used to test the applicability of two
theoretical models for computing total solar radiation on inclined surfaces. The models selected for discussion
are the isotropic model suggested by Liu and Jordan and the anisotropic model by Hay. The models are
compared and tested for their applicability to locations in Lesotho and Southern Africa in general, on the basis
of statistical error tests. A comparative study of the models shows that both the models are equally accurate
for stations in Lesotho. The isotropic model is then used to estimate total radiation for five other locations on
north-facing surfaces of various tilt angles, and the results are presented.

I. INTRODUCTION
Quantitative assessment of solar radiation incident on a
tilt plane is very important to engineers designing solar
energy collecting devices, to architects designing
buildings, and to agronomists studying insolation on
vegetation on mountain slopes. To meet all these re-
quirements, one should know the intensity of radiation
falling upon the sloping surface and its variation over a
period of one year. Although solar radiation, including
global and diffuse component, is measured on horizontal
surfaces at many locations, the measurement on sloping
surfaces is rarely carried out. For locations where no
measurements exist, radiation data can be estimated
from theoretical models. There are several methods to
compute global radiation on tilted surfaces from
measured daily global and diffuse radiation on a
horizontal surface. Different mathematical models have
been developed by Liu and Jordan[l], Hay[2],
Klucher[3], Heywood[4], Norri$[5], Klein[6], and
others, to calculate total radiation on tilted surfaces from
measurements on a horizontal surface. Monthly average
daily total radiation on a tilted surface can be estimated
by individually considering the direct beam, diffuse and
reflected components of the radiation incident on the
tilted surface. The only difference among the various
models appears in the assessment of the sky-diffuse
component.
Measured radiation data on inclined surfaces are not
available for most of the locations in Lesotho, and have
to be estimated from theoretical models. However, as
there are many correlations available in the literature for
estimation purposes, one has first to decide which one of
these correlations can be applied accurately to locations
in the region. The models proposed by Liu and Jordan
[ 1 ] and by Hay [ 2 J are chosen for discussion in the
present study. These models are supposed to be
applicable to locations anywhere in the world.
Global solar radiation, on two tilted surfaces, mea-
sured over a period of one year at the solar energy
laboratory of the National University of Lesotho,
Roma, Maseru (Latitude * 29.32°; elevation =1571 m)
is used in the present study to test the applicability of
the two models. The two objectives of this study
are, thus, (i) to compare statistically
two widely used models for estimating
solar radiation on inclined surfaces for
their applicability, and then to
recommend the most accurate one for
estimation purposes for locations in
Lesotho and to Southern African
region; and (ii) to compute total solar
radiation on surfaces at various tilt
angles for locations in Lesotho.
Estimation of global solar radiation on four types of
north-facing sloping surfaces is carried out for five
stations in Lesotho. The stations selected for study are
Leribe, Maputsoe, Qacha’s Nek, Quthing, and Se-
monkong. Long-term monthly mean daily global and
diffuse radiation data on horizontal surfaces needed for
the study was taken from the work published by
Gopinathan[7].
2. MODELS OF ESTIMATION
The total solar radiation on a tilted surface (Hr) is
made up of the direct or beam solar radiation (//*), sky-
diffuse radiation (//^)and ground-reflected radiation
(//*). Thus, for a surface tilted at a slope angle from the
horizontal, the incident total solar radiation is
HT=HB + HS + HR. (I)
The daily beam radiation received on an inclined surface
can be expressed as
HB =(H- HD )RB, (2)
where H and Hd are the monthly mean daily global and
diffuse radiation on a horizontal surface, and Rb is the
ratio of the average daily beam radiation on a tilted
surface to that on a horizontal surface. Liu and Jordan
have suggested that Rb can be estimated by assuming
that it ha s the value which would be obtained if there
were no atmosphere. For surfaces in the Southern
(3)
hemisphere, sloped towards the equator the equation for
Rb is given as(l]

(3)