Important Formulas 7

Solar Geometry
S
Φ
S’
P’
Latitude (φ):
It is defined is the angle subtended by the radial line joining
the place to the centre of the earth, with the projection of the line on
the equatorial plane
Hour angle (ω):

It is defined as the angle measured in the earth's equatorial
plane between the projection of op’ and the projection of a line from
center of the sun to the center of earth.
- At the solar noon, the hour angle is zero.
Morning: negative and Afternoon: positive
The hour angle expresses the time of the day with respect to solar
noon.
One hour is represented by 2π/24 = 0.262 rad., or
360°/24 = 15° degrees
Declination angle (δ)
• Solar Declination is the angle between the equatorial
plane and the ecliptic plane
• The solar declination angle varies with the season of
the year, and ranges between –23.45º and +23.45º
• It is the angular distance of the sun's rays north (or

south) of the equator.
Figure shows the sun's angle of declination.
• δ = - 23.5° at winter solstice, i.e. sun's rays would be
23.5° south of the earth's equator
• δ = +23.5 at summer solstice, i.e. sun's rays would be
23.5° north of the earth's equator.
• δ = 0° at the equinoxes
Declination angle (δ) = 23.45 sin [360(284+n)/365]

where, n = day of the year
Declination angle (δ)
Summer Solstice is at
maximum solar declination
(+23.5º) and occurs around
June 21st –Sun is at Zenith at
solar noon at locations 23.5º N
latitude
Winter Solstice is at minimum

solar declination (-23.5º) and
occurs around December 21st
At any location in the Northern
Hemisphere, the sun is 47º
lower in the sky at noon on
winter solstice than on the
summer solstice – Days are
significantly shorter than nights
cos z  cos cos cos  sin  sin   cos  sin 
cos s  sec  (cos sin   cos sin  cos )
sin  s  sec  cos sin 
Incident angle (θ): It is the angle being measured between the beam
of rays and normal to the plane.
• Incidence angle of rays on collector (w.r.t. to collector normal)
cos   sin  (sin  cos   cos  cos  cos  sin  )
(a)
 cos  (cos  cos  cos   sin  cos  sin  )
 cos  sin  sin  sin 
• Case-1: β = 90o thus , for a vertical surface.
cos   sin  cos  cos  cos   cos  sin  cos   cos  sin  sin 
• Case-2: i.e. β = 0o. Thus, for the horizontal surface, then :
cos   sin  sin   cos  cos  cos   cos  z
• Case-3:  = 0o, collector facing due south
cos   sin  sin(    )  cos  cos  cos(   ) (b)
• Case-4: β = 90°,  = 0o for a vertical surface due south

cos   sin  cos  cos   cos  sin 
Sun rise, Sunset, Day length
• At the time of sunrise (or sun set), the zenith angle θz= 90° substituting in
to the equ.
cos   sin  sin   cos  cos  cos   cos  z
sin  sin 
• Sunrise hour angle (ω) cos   (c)
cos cos
cos   tan  tan 
  cos1 (  tan  tan  )
Day length (Td)
hours
The hour angle at sunrise or sunset on an inclined surface ωst, will be
lesser than the value obtained by equ. (c) If the corresponding incidence
angle comes out to be more than 90°.
Under this condition, by putting θ = 90°, in equ. (a)
Inclined surface facing south, substituting θ = 90° in the equ. (b)
cos  sin  sin(   )  cos cos cos(   )

We obtain,
st  cos1[ tan(   ) tan  ]
The corresponding day length (in hours) is given by
2
Td  cos1 [  tan(   ) tan  ]
15
Standard Time
Local civil time for a selected meridian near the center of
the zone. Clocks are usually set for the same time
throughout a time zone, covering approximately 15° of
longitude.
Example
For U.S.A different standard time is set over different time
zone based on the meridian of the zone. Following is a list
of meridian line.
EST: 75° CST: 90°
MST: 105° PST: 120°
In India IST = 82.5° E
also, there is Day Light Savings Time
Solar Time
Time measured by apparent daily motion of the sun
Local Solar Time, LST = LCT + Equation of time (E)
Equation-of-time takes into account of non-symmetry of

the earthly orbit, irregularity of earthly rotational speed and
other factors.
E  220.2(0.000075  0.001868 cos B - 0.032077 sin B  0.0014615 cos 2B - 0.04089 sin 2B)
Where,
B  n  1
360
365
• LCT can be derived from the IST with the help of the
following equ.
• LCT = Standard time  (Lst - Llocal)x4
• Solar time
• LST= Standard time + E (Lst - Llocal)x4
• where,
• E = equation of time in minutes
• Lst= standard meridian for the local time zone.
• Llocal= longitude of the location in degrees west or east
• + sign for west
• - sign for east
India, negative sign is taken,
LST= Indian standard time + E - (Lst - Llocal)x4

Estimation of Solar Radiation
Availability
𝐻𝑔 𝐷𝐿
• =𝑎+𝑏
𝐻𝑐 𝐷𝑚𝑎𝑥
• Hg – Monthly average of daily global
radiation on a horizontal surface at a given
location
• Hc – Monthly average of daily global
radiation on a horizontal surface at the
same location on a clear sky
• DL – Monthly average measured solar day
length
• Ho – Monthly average of daily
extraterresterial radiation
𝐻𝑔 𝐷𝐿
• =𝑎+𝑏
𝐻𝑜 𝐷𝑚𝑎𝑥

Important Formulas 7

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Important Formulas 7

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Solar Geometry

Hour angle (ω):

• It is the angular distance of the sun's rays north (or

Declination angle (δ) = 23.45 sin [360(284+n)/365]

Winter Solstice is at minimum

• Case-4: β = 90°,  = 0o for a vertical surface due south

Under this condition, by putting θ = 90°, in equ. (a)

Inclined surface facing south, substituting θ = 90° in the equ. (b)

cos  sin  sin(   )  cos cos cos(   )

The corresponding day length (in hours) is given by

Equation-of-time takes into account of non-symmetry of

India, negative sign is taken,

LST= Indian standard time + E - (Lst - Llocal)x4

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