Solar Calculation

1
Solar Radiation Calculation
Dr. Mohamad Kharseh

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Solar Constant
Solar Constant is the intensity of the solar radiation hitting one

square meter of the Earth
Or it is the intensity of radiation from the spherical black

body, whose temperature is 5785oK and diameter is 696·106
m, per square meter on a spherical surface whose radius is
150.109m and with the Sun placed at its center.
2
The Solar Constant
2
4  4π .R  2
Gsc = σ .T .  = 1367 W / m
 4π .D 
Where
σ= 5.67⋅10-8 W/m2.K4 is the Stefan-
Boltzmann constant.
R= 696·106 m is the Sun radiuses
D=150 ·109 m is the average distance
between the Sun and the earth
What is the average intensity per square meter of the Earth’s surface?
3
Polar Circle & Tropic of Cancer & Capricorn
Slope angel of the Earth’s axis: 23.45°
Polar Circle: φ = 90 - 23,45 = 66.55°

4
1- Latitude φ
latitude is used to state how far north or south you are, relative
to the equator.
•If you are on the equator your
latitude is zero.
•If you are near the north pole
or the south pole your latitude
e
Latitud
is nearly 90 degrees.
Longitu
de
5
1- Latitude φ
Latitude is the angle measured at the centre of the Earth,

between the Equator plane and where you are. It is expressed
either north or south, and varies from 0° to 90°.
6
2- Longitude ‘L’
Longitude shows your location in an east or west

direction, relative to the Greenwich meridian.
•Places to the east of Greenwich have longitude angles up to

180 degrees east.
•Places to the west of Greenwich
have negative angles up to
e
Latitud
180 deg west.
Longitu
de
7
2- Longitude ‘L’
Longitude is the angle at centre of the Earth, between where you

are and Greenwich. It can be measured either east or west and
varies from 0° to 180°.
8
The Greenwich Observatory
The Prime Meridian passes

through the Royal Greenwich
Observatory.
Greenwich Mean Time (GMT)

was based on the
observations made at the
observatory
Now we base time on the

Coordinated Universal Time
(UTC).
9
3- Declination δ
Declination is the angle made between the plane of the equator

and the line joining the two centres of the earth and the sun:
 284 + n 
δ ≈ 23.45 ⋅ sin  360 ⋅ 
 365 
10
3- Declination δ
The Declination varies between -23.45°≤δ≤23.45°

and is positive during summer and negative during winter
On the same day the declination is equal everywhere on the Earth
What is the declination angle today?

11
12
Changing this angle causes the seasons, how is that?
3- Declination δ
4- Hour Angle ω
The hour angle is the sun’s angular deviation from south
ω = 15o ⋅ (Solar Time − 12)
-180°≤ω≤180°, negative before Solar Noon
13
4- Hour Angle ω
Two corrections must be applied
If the longitude is different
from the current time zone
E = 229.2 ⋅ (0.000075 + 0.001868co sB meridian of the location.
- 0.032077si nB - 0.014615 cos2B - 0.04089 sin 2B)
Because the earth's orbit and
B = (n-1)360/365
rate of rotation are subject to
small fluctuations.
Lst is the standard longitude of the place. you can find it out
by using the time difference between the local time and GTM
Lloca is the longitude of the considered place, which can be

found by using google map. Please see the link:
https://youtu.be/SWYQVRWWjZA
What is the hour angle in your place at 3 PM?

14
15
5- Sun altitude hs
Angle between horizontal plane

and line joins the site with the
centers of the sun (sun
elevation).
hs = Arc sin [cos(ϕ ). cos(δ ). cos(ω ) + sin(ϕ ). sin(δ )]
What is the Sun altitude in your place at 10 AM?
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6- Solar azimuth γ
Angle between the projection of the straight line joins

the site with the centers of the sun on the horizontal
plane and due south.
 cos(δ ). sin(ω ) 
γ = Arc sin  
 cos( hs ) 
What is the Solar azimuth in your place at 3 PM?

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7- Incident Beam Radiation θ
8- Incidence Angle on Sloped Plane
The angle of tilted surface ‘β’ is angle between the surface and
the horizontal.
Incidence angle on a surface of tilt β and azimuth γ on the
latitude φ at a time when the declination is δ and the hour
angle is ω, is:
cos θ = sin δ ⋅ sin φ ⋅ cos β − sin δ ⋅ cos φ ⋅ sin β ⋅ cos γ + cos δ ⋅ cos φ ⋅ cos β ⋅ cos ω
+ cos δ ⋅ sin φ ⋅ sin β ⋅ cos γ ⋅ cos ω + cos δ ⋅ sin β ⋅ sin γ ⋅ sin ω
What is the incidence angle on a sloped surface in your place β = 45°?
19
9- Zenith Angle θz
Zenith Angle, θz is incidence angle of θ

z
sunbeam on a horizontal surface
It is found by inserting β=0 in incidence
angle equation
θ
cosθ z = cosφ ⋅ cosδ ⋅ cosω + sinφ ⋅ sinδ
z
0° ≤ θz ≤ 90°
What is the relationship between zenith angle and Sun altitude?
20
9- Zenith Angle θz
During the same day, zenith angel determines amount of

radiation received by surface
What is the zenith angle today in your place at 10 AM?

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Incidence Angle on Sloped Plane
The incidence angle on surfaces with slope β due north or

south at latitude φ is equivalent to the Zenith Angle at an
artificial latitude (φ -β) for the northern hemisphere, or (φ
+β) for the southern hemisphere.
cosθ = cos(φ - β ) ⋅ cosδ ⋅ cosω + sin(φ - β ) ⋅ sinδ
cosθ = cos(φ + β ) ⋅ cosδ ⋅ cosω + sin(φ + β ) ⋅ sinδ
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Sunset, Sunrise & Day Length
• The sunset hour angle is the hour angle when θz=90°
cosθ z = cosφ ⋅ cosδ ⋅ cosω + sinφ ⋅ sinδ
cos ωs = − tan ϕ ⋅ tan δ Earth
θz=900
• Since the hour angle increases 15°/hour,

ωs can be used to define the day length
through the relation
2
N= ⋅ Ar cos (− tan ϕ ⋅ tan δ ) Sun
15
How long does the sun shine in your place today?

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Sunset Hour Angle of Sloped Surface
• The sunset hour angle for a plane tilted towards the

south is defined as the hour angle when θ = 90°:
cosθ = cos(φ - β ) ⋅ cosδ ⋅ cosω + sin(φ - β ) ⋅ sinδ
cos ωst = − tan(ϕ − β ) ⋅ tan δ
24
Slope surface
effect of slope angle on the incident angle & day long
50 17
45
Number of hour sunshine

40 16
35
incidend angle
30 15
25
20 14
15
10 13
5
0 12
0 10 20 30 40 50
slope angle
Increasing β is decreases θ this is positive effect

simultaneously it decreases day long which it is negative effect.
25
Solar Radiation
Extraterrestrial Solar Radiation
Atmosphere influence on Solar Radiation
Solar Radiation on ground surface (horizontal plane), clear day
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Solar Radiation
• Radiation is a composition of many wavelengths

• Waves of different length carry different amount of energy
• 98% of SR is carried by wave of length 0.3 ≤ λ ≤ 3 µm
UV Visibl IR
e
27
28
λ > 0.78 µm
Infrared:
0.38 µm < λ < 0.78 µm
Visible light:
Solar Spectrum
0.2 µm < λ < 0.38 µm

Ultraviolet:
Solar Spectrum
1- What is the fraction of the solar radiation in:

• the ultraviolet (λ<0.38μm),
• the visible (0.38μm<λ<0.78μm), and
• the infrared (λ>0.78μm).
29
30
Solar Spectrum
Solar Spectrum
Conclusion
About 6.5% of the total energy is contained in the
ultraviolet region (λ < 0.38 μm);
another 47.9% is contained in the visible region (0.38 μm
< λ < 0.78 μm); and
45.6% is contained in the infrared region (λ > 0.78 μm).
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Solar Constant
Solar Constant, Gsc: is radiation received per square meter of the

atmosphere at incidence angle θ = 0 when the earth is at the
mean distance from the sun
Solar Constant: 1367 W/m2
The solar constant is a mean value:
•the earth's orbit is elliptical
•the distance between the sun and earth varies by 3.3%
•Solar irradiation must vary approximately over the year
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Solar Constant
The exact irradiation incident on a surface of θ=0 just outside

the atmosphere, Gon [W/m2], is calculated from the solar
constant, Gsc, and the day number as follows:
 360 ⋅ n 
Gon = Gsc ⋅ 1 + 0.033 ⋅ cos 
 365 
Solar constant during an entire year
1420
1410
1400
solar constan (w/m2)
1390
1380
1370
1360 0 50 100 150 200 250 300 350
1350
1340
1330
1320
time (day)
Solar irradiation varies approximately ±45 W/m2 over the year

33
Extraterrestrial Radiation
Extraterrestrial radiation Go [W/m2] is the radiation incident on the

surface tangent to the outer surface of the atmosphere.
It is function of zenith angle, θz, thus, it is function of:
latitude, time during the day and number of the day
ER is given by:
Go = Gon ⋅ cosθ z = Gon ⋅ (cosφ ⋅ cosδ ⋅ cosω + sinφ ⋅ sinδ )
What is the ET radiation, Go, at 2 PM in your place ?
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Integrating ET over a specified time, usually an hour or a

day, we obtain hourly or daily radiation:
12 ⋅ 3600  360 ⋅ n   π ⋅ (ω2 − ω1) 

Io = ⋅ Gsc ⋅ 1 + 0.033 ⋅ cos  ⋅  cosφ ⋅ cosδ ⋅ (sinω 2 − sinω1 ) + sinφ ⋅ sinδ 
π  365   180 
24 ⋅ 3600  360 ⋅ n   π ⋅ ωs 
Ho = ⋅ Gsc ⋅ 1 + 0.033 ⋅ cos ⋅
  cosφ ⋅ cosδ ⋅ s in ω s + sinφ ⋅ sinδ 
π  365   180 
Solar constant: Gsc [W/m2]

•Hourly radiation: I0 [J/m2]
•Daily radiation: H0 [J/day. m2]
35
3- What is the daily solar radiation on a horizontal surface

in the absence of the atmosphere today in your place ?
4- What is the solar radiation on a horizontal surface in the

absence of the atmosphere today in your place between
the 13 &14?
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Atmosphere Influence on Solar Radiation
- The atmosphere is ~100-500 km thick and consists of gas

molecules, particles and dust of different concentration
• The composition varies with height, weather, location
and number of pollution sources
- The density of the atmosphere decreases with the altitude

• The atmosphere has no sharp border to space
• 75% of the atmosphere’s mass below 10 km
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Thermosphere (“Upper Atmosphere”)

– Temperature > 1700°C due to solar radiation
but the particles are so few that heat transfer
is low
– Meteors and shooting stars burn up while
passing
Mesosphere
– Altitude 50-85 km above ground
– Temperature falls to -93°C
Stratosphere
– Altitude from 10-50 km
– Includes the ozone layer (19-30 km)
– Temperature increases due to UV-absorption
Troposphere (“Lower Atmosphere”)
– About 10 km high
– Temperature drops from 15°C to about -55°C
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Significant amount of solar radiation is attenuated as it travels

through the atmosphere.
This attenuation is due to:
• absorption of solar radiation by different particles in the atmosphere
• backward scattering and reflection of solar radiation by air
particles, water vapor, dust...
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30% is reflected.
17% is absorbed by the atmosphere.
53% reaches the earth surface:
31% direct radiation
22% diffuse radiation .
40
Beam Radiation Gcb Diffuse Radiation Gcd

Solar rays reaching the Solar rays reaching the
ground without change in ground after a change in
direction direction by particles in
the atmosphere
Reflected Radiation
– Solar rays reflected from
surrounding
– Albedo, ρg, is ground
reflectance of both beam and
diffuse radiation
– Only sloped surfaces receives
reflected radiation from the
surrounding
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Air Mass ‘m’

The ratio of the path length, which beam radiation passes through
the atmosphere, to the path it would pass through if the Sun
were at the zenith, i.e. directly overhead.
C 1
m= =
h cosθ z
42
Radiation on Ground Surface Clear day
Total radiation received on horizontal surface at ground

surface is:
Gc = Gcb + Gcd
43
1- Beam Radiation Gcb

The atmospheric transmittance for beam is the ratio of
the transmitted direct radiation to the total radiation
incident at the top of atmosphere:
Gcb
τb = = ao + a1 ⋅ e(−k / cosθz )
Go
Gcb = τ b ⋅ Gon .(cosφ ⋅ cosδ ⋅ cosω + sinφ ⋅ sinδ )
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Where a0, a1and k are constant calculated suing next equations:
(
a 0 = r0 ⋅ 0.4237 - 0.00821 ⋅ (6 − A )
2
)
a = r ⋅ (0.5055 + 0.00595 ⋅ (6.5 − A ) )
2
1 1
k = r ⋅ (0.2711 + 0.01858 ⋅ (2.5 - A ) )

2
k
Climate Type r0 r1 rk
Where ”A" in the equations is Tropical 0.95 0.98 1.02
the altitude of the site above the sea Midlatitude summer 0.97 0.99 1.02
level. Subarctic summer 0.99 0.99 1.01
Midlatitude winter 1.03 1.01 1.00

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46
12
11
10
9
8
air mass
7
6
5
4
3
2
1
0.7
0.6
0.5
0.4
0.3
0.2
0.1
transmittance for beam
5- Calculate the transmittance for beam radiation of the

standard clear atmosphere at your place (altitude 0 m)
today at 1:30 PM solar time. Estimate the intensity of
beam radiation at that time and its component on a
horizontal surface.
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2- Diffuse Radiation Gcd

The atmospheric transmittance for diffuse radiation is the ratio
of the transmitted diffuse radiation to the total radiation
incident at the top of atmosphere
The transmission coefficient for diffuse radiation is:
Gcd
τd = = 0.271 − 0.294 ⋅τ b
Go
G cd = τ d ⋅ Gon .(cosφ ⋅ cosδ ⋅ cosω + sinφ ⋅ sinδ )
48
6- Estimate the standard clear-day radiation on a horizontal

surface for your place today at 13:30 PM solar time
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Total radiation received on horizontal surface at ground surface is:
Gc = Gcb + Gcd
 360 ⋅ n 
Gc = (τ b + τ d ) ⋅ Gsc ⋅ 1 + 0.033 ⋅ cos  ⋅ (cosφ ⋅ cosδ ⋅ cosω + sinφ ⋅ sinδ )
 365 
50
The hourly radiation on a horizontal surface is written
I = Ib + Id
b: Beam d: Diffuse
component component
12 ⋅ 3600  360 ⋅ n   π ⋅ (ω2 − ω1) 

Ic = ⋅ (τ b + τ d ) ⋅ Gsc ⋅ 1 + 0.033 ⋅ cos  ⋅  cosφ ⋅ cosδ ⋅ (sinω2 − sinω1 ) + sinφ ⋅ sinδ 
π  365   180 
w1 and w2 is the hour angle of the sun at the considered

hours.
7- What is the solar radiation on a horizontal surface today

in your place between the 13 &14?
51

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1

Solar Radiation Calculation

Dr. Mohamad Kharseh

Solar Constant is the intensity of the solar radiation hitting one

Or it is the intensity of radiation from the spherical black

The Solar Constant

Polar Circle & Tropic of Cancer & Capricorn

Slope angel of the Earth’s axis: 23.45°

Polar Circle: φ = 90 - 23,45 = 66.55°

Latitude is the angle measured at the centre of the Earth,

Longitude shows your location in an east or west

•Places to the east of Greenwich have longitude angles up to

•Places to the west of Greenwich

have negative angles up to

Longitude is the angle at centre of the Earth, between where you

The Greenwich Observatory

The Prime Meridian passes

Greenwich Mean Time (GMT)

Now we base time on the

Declination is the angle made between the plane of the equator

The Declination varies between -23.45°≤δ≤23.45°

On the same day the declination is equal everywhere on the Earth

What is the declination angle today?

The hour angle is the sun’s angular deviation from south

ω = 15o ⋅ (Solar Time − 12)

-180°≤ω≤180°, negative before Solar Noon

Lloca is the longitude of the considered place, which can be

What is the hour angle in your place at 3 PM?

Angle between horizontal plane

hs = Arc sin [cos(ϕ ). cos(δ ). cos(ω ) + sin(ϕ ). sin(δ )]

What is the Sun altitude in your place at 10 AM?

Angle between the projection of the straight line joins

What is the Solar azimuth in your place at 3 PM?

8- Incidence Angle on Sloped Plane

What is the incidence angle on a sloped surface in your place β = 45°?

Zenith Angle, θz is incidence angle of θ

What is the relationship between zenith angle and Sun altitude?

During the same day, zenith angel determines amount of

What is the zenith angle today in your place at 10 AM?

Incidence Angle on Sloped Plane

The incidence angle on surfaces with slope β due north or

cosθ = cos(φ - β ) ⋅ cosδ ⋅ cosω + sin(φ - β ) ⋅ sinδ

cosθ = cos(φ + β ) ⋅ cosδ ⋅ cosω + sin(φ + β ) ⋅ sinδ

Sunset, Sunrise & Day Length

• The sunset hour angle is the hour angle when θz=90°

cosθ z = cosφ ⋅ cosδ ⋅ cosω + sinφ ⋅ sinδ

cos ωs = − tan ϕ ⋅ tan δ Earth

• Since the hour angle increases 15°/hour,

How long does the sun shine in your place today?

Sunset Hour Angle of Sloped Surface

• The sunset hour angle for a plane tilted towards the

cosθ = cos(φ - β ) ⋅ cosδ ⋅ cosω + sin(φ - β ) ⋅ sinδ

cos ωst = − tan(ϕ − β ) ⋅ tan δ

effect of slope angle on the incident angle & day long

Number of hour sunshine

Increasing β is decreases θ this is positive effect

Extraterrestrial Solar Radiation

Atmosphere influence on Solar Radiation

Solar Radiation on ground surface (horizontal plane), clear day

• Radiation is a composition of many wavelengths

0.2 µm < λ < 0.38 µm

1- What is the fraction of the solar radiation in:

Solar Constant, Gsc: is radiation received per square meter of the