***** Solar Panel Efficiency *****

Sun Ray Tracking, Shadow effects upon Roofs

and Atmospheric effects.

explanation and details of calculations

go to calculations: website-app

back to home screen

 

 

Im2

 

See VIDEO 

 

PROGRAM OBJECTIVE:  

 

- AZIMUTHAL AND ALTITUDE (ELEVATION/ZENITH) ANGLES of sun rays at different days of the year and at different times of the day.

Calculation using latitude, longitude, Julian time calendar, Equation of time-correction, and local time corrections like time zone.

 

- SHADOW PROJECTION of the top of obstructing objects (shadow formation) like trees onto the roof of houses and buildings,

 

- EFFICIENCY OF SOLAR IRRADIATION ON SOLAR PANELS (depending on the angle with respect to the normal (perpendicular) direction on the roof.

Calculation using corrections for atmospheric attenuation and refraction.

 

Screens of the program:

Beginscherm

 

 

 

Entrance screen

 

 

 

Inputscherm2

 

 

 

Input screen

 

with help and explanations,

and data input windows

 

 

Eenmaandcil

 

 

Shadows of a cylinder (diameter = 1 m) at 21 March 2017

 

Visible on the panels:

11 ... 15 h.

 

Note the rounded top of the shadow of the cylindrical object, due to the upper circle of the object.

 

 

Eenmaandbol

 

 

Shadows of a sphere (diameter = 2 m) on top of the shading object, at 21 March 2017

 

Note the slight oblique elliptic shape at 12:00 h.

 

Also shown: shadow lines of vertical symmetry axis of the object (all month, also indicated at bottom)

 

 

Allmaandbol

 

 

Shadows of the same sphere at the 21st of each month of year 2017.

 

 

Shown:

-         shadow points of centre top of the sphere (April ... September visible)

-          

-         shadow lines of vertical symmetry axis of the object (all month, also indicated at bottom)

-          

shadow patches of the spheres (when visible)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Outputfile: 21st day of all months of year 2017, with totals over the year,

corrected for: shadows, atmospheric transmission, refraction, cloudy skies etc.

Here shown:  month January only + cumulative results for whole year (= sum of all monthly results * # days in month)

 

SOLAR PANELS IRRADIATION on  **** 21 Jan 2017 **** (summertime) | Time zone: GMT +1 h

Longitude = East 6 deg 0' | Latitude = North 52 deg 0'

House: wall at sunny South side: Height = 2.75 m

Panels: Width = 10.5 | Height(*) = 3 m | area = 31.5 m^2.

    (*): measured along oblique roof, from roof top downwards.

    Intrinsic efficiency = 20 %

Shading object: X = 5 m | Y = 7 m | Height = 13 m

    shape: cylinder ; diameter:    1.0 m.

Direction of X-axis w.r.t. South: 3 degr. towards east

Sky clearness = 90 %

    fractions (%): diffuse:  7.3 ; direct: 66.0 ; total: 73.3

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

  time   Altitude Azimuth Irradiation     Shadow top on roof      Intersect   Area in

 (h/m)     (deg)   (deg)  efficiency (%)  Y-pos (m) height* (m)   with roof?  shadow (%)

-------  -------- ------- -------------   --------- -----------   ----------  ----------

 12: 0     14.5    154.0   76.3   28.1        0.3      9.7          no         6.3

 ...

  1: 0    -56.6      0.0    0.0    0.0        0.0      0.0          no sun     0.0

  2: 0    -57.8      0.0    0.0    0.0        0.0      0.0          no sun     0.0

  3: 0    -54.9      0.0    0.0    0.0        0.0      0.0          no sun     0.0

  4: 0    -48.8      0.0    0.0    0.0        0.0      0.0          no sun     0.0

  5: 0    -40.8      0.0    0.0    0.0        0.0      0.0          no sun     0.0

  6: 0    -31.9      0.0    0.0    0.0        0.0      0.0          no sun     0.0

  7: 0    -22.7      0.0    0.0    0.0        0.0      0.0          no sun     0.0

  8: 0    -13.6      0.0    0.0    0.0        0.0      0.0          no sun     0.0

  9: 0     -5.0      0.0    0.0    0.0        0.0      0.0          no sun     0.0

 10: 0      2.9    128.0   42.9   10.2      -13.8     13.1          no         0.0

 11: 0      9.5    140.5   61.9   14.7       -4.7     10.7          no         0.5

 12: 0     14.5    154.0   76.3   28.1        0.3      9.7          no         6.3

 13: 0     17.5    168.3   85.2   37.0        3.9      9.3          no         8.4

 14: 0     18.2    183.2   87.9   39.4        7.0      9.3          no         9.3

 15: 0     16.5    197.8   84.3   34.9       10.2      9.6          no         8.3

 16: 0     12.6    211.9   74.6   23.7       13.9     10.3          no         0.0

 17: 0      6.9    225.0   59.4   14.1       19.2     11.7          no         0.0

 18: 0     -0.3      0.0    0.0    0.0        0.0      0.0          no sun     0.0

 19: 0     -8.5      0.0    0.0    0.0        0.0      0.0          no sun     0.0

 20: 0    -17.3      0.0    0.0    0.0        0.0      0.0          no sun     0.0

 21: 0    -26.5      0.0    0.0    0.0        0.0      0.0          no sun     0.0

 22: 0    -35.7      0.0    0.0    0.0        0.0      0.0          no sun     0.0

 23: 0    -44.2      0.0    0.0    0.0        0.0      0.0          no sun     0.0

 24: 0    -51.5      0.0    0.0    0.0        0.0      0.0          no sun     0.0

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Sunrise: 9:31 h |  Sunset: 18:4 h  (+/-2'; corrected for atmospheric refraction)

Irradiation efficiency: columns: 1st: direct from sun;

    2nd: corr. for atmosph. transmission.

Max. elevation (altitude) =    18.22 at 13:46 h

Cumulative irradiance efficiency today =    572.5 %

   and corr. for atmosph. transmission (clear sky) :    202.1 %

       (averaged transmission factor:   0.3531)

   and also corrected for shadows      =    190.6 %

       (correction factor for shadows:  0.9429

   and corrected for (partly) cloudy sky (clearness = 90 %):   174.6 % ;

       (correction factor for clouds:  0.9163 (diffusive + direct)

Accumulated energy today     =      17.19 kWh  (clear skies)

  idem including shadows     =      16.21,

  idem including cloudy sky  =      14.85,

  calculated with 1350 W/m^2 perpendicular solar extraterrestrial irradiance

  and 20 % intrinsic (electronic) efficiency.

Efficiency of irradiation = cosine of angle between the solar ray and

  the normal perpendicular vector on roof (= 100% at perpendicular incidence)

  1st/2nd column: without/with correction for atmospheric air passage.

  The irradiance efficiency is calculated without shadow.

Altitude angle (= elevation = 90 degr. - zenith) measured from local ground level

Shadow spot = intersection point of that sun ray which crosses (touches) the top

  of the overshadowing object, with the (extended) roof plane (measured along the roof).

  If Height<0, then intersection in front of the wall.

========================================================================================

 

RESULTS FOR DAYS  21 OF WHOLE YEAR   ****  2017   ****

Estimated produced energy output (kWh):

  (output of present day (21) taken as average day over the month,

   and output multiplied with nr. of days in that month.

             |   ---   clear sky   --- |  --- with shadows  ---  | with shadows and clouds

  month days |   month  per m^2  <day> |   month  per m^2  <day> |   month  per m^2  <day>

  -----  --  | -------  ------  ------ | -------  ------  ------ | -------  ------  ------

 1 Jan : 31  |   533.0    16.9    17.2 |   502.5    16.0    16.2 |   460.4    14.6    14.9

 2 Feb : 28  |   777.6    24.7    27.8 |   735.1    23.3    26.3 |   673.5    21.4    24.1

 3 Mar : 31  |  1155.2    36.7    37.3 |  1116.5    35.4    36.0 |  1023.0    32.5    33.0

 4 Apr : 30  |  1307.1    41.5    43.6 |  1307.1    41.5    43.6 |  1197.6    38.0    39.9

 5 May : 31  |  1418.8    45.0    45.8 |  1418.8    45.0    45.8 |  1299.9    41.3    41.9

 6 Jun : 30  |  1382.7    43.9    46.1 |  1382.7    43.9    46.1 |  1266.9    40.2    42.2

 7 Jul : 31  |  1418.0    45.0    45.7 |  1418.0    45.0    45.7 |  1299.3    41.2    41.9

 8 Aug : 31  |  1349.0    42.8    43.5 |  1349.0    42.8    43.5 |  1236.0    39.2    39.9

 9 Sep : 30  |  1122.6    35.6    37.4 |  1091.7    34.7    36.4 |  1000.3    31.8    33.3

10 Oct : 31  |   852.1    27.1    27.5 |   809.1    25.7    26.1 |   741.3    23.5    23.9

11 Nov : 30  |   509.6    16.2    17.0 |   479.0    15.2    16.0 |   438.9    13.9    14.6

12 Dec : 31  |   427.4    13.6    13.8 |   403.6    12.8    13.0 |   369.8    11.7    11.9

  -----  --  | -------  ------  ------ | -------  ------  ------ | -------  ------  ------

  Total 365  | 12253.0   389.0    33.6 | 12013.1   381.4    32.9 | 11007.0   349.4    30.2

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

  (calculated with 1350 W/m^2 perpendicular solar irradiance

  (and   20 % intrinsic (electronic) efficiency)

Total yearly cumulative irradiance efficiency =   257140 %

  with correction for air transmission   144068 %,

  and for shadows:  141247 %, and for clouds:  129418 %.

  (calculated by multiplying each month's cumulative efficiencies on this day (21)

  (times the number of days in that month, and summing up over all months)

==========================================================================================