Solar radiation: Data entry screen


Enter name of the site:

Enter latitude of the site (LAT):
(Use positive values for northern latitudes, negative values for southern latitudes.)

Enter date for radiation estimate:
Year:

The default solar constant (Jo) is:
W m^-2
You may keep this value or enter a new one.

The default atmospheric transmissivity (a) is:

You may keep this value or enter a new one.

The default atmospheric emissivity (AtmEmiss) is:

You may keep this value or enter a new one.

The default surface emissivity (SurfEmiss) is:

You may keep this value or enter a new one.

The default atmospheric equilibrium temperature (AtmTemp) is:
K
You may keep this value or enter a new one.

Select the albedo:
(Choose the value that corresponds with the type of surface you want to model.)

Enter the elevation of the site in meters:

Enter the aspect of the site in degrees:
(This doesn't need to be changed for a flat surface.)

Enter the slope angle of the site:
Is this figure in degrees or percent?
(This doesn't need to be changed for a flat surface.)

Enter east horizon elevation in degrees:
(This doesn't need to be changed for a flat surface.)

Enter west horizon elevation in degrees:
(This doesn't need to be changed for a flat surface.)

Now we need to determine the elevation of the horizon between the site and the sun at noon.

  • For most northern latitudes the horizon will lay the south.
  • For most southern latitudes the horizon will lay toward the north.
  • For tropical latitudes, the direction of the horizon will depend on the declination of the sun.
    (If you have a sloping surface, you may need to run the program once to determine the declination.)

Enter noon-sun horizon elevation in degrees:
(This doesn't need to be changed for a flat surface.)