AM = 1/(cosd(90-alpha) + 0.50572(6.07955+alpha)^-1.6354);
sRad = 1.3530.7^(AM^0.678); % kW/m^2
disp(['Air Mass = ' num2str(AM) ' Solar Radiation = ' num2str(sRad) ' kW/m^2'])
Air Mass = 1.0688 Solar Radiation = 0.93164 kW/m^2
Solar Radiation on Fixed Panels
Use hyperlinks to reference supporting information from other sources. To add a
hyperlink, go to the Live Editor tab and click the Hyperlink button.
Panels installed with a solar tracker can move with the sun and receive 100% of the sun's
radiation as the sun moves across the sky. However, most solar cell installations have
panels set at a fixed azimuth and tilt. Therefore the actual radiation reaching the panel
will also depend on the sun's azimuth. The solar azimuth (γ) is the compass direction of
the sun's position in the sky. At solar noon in the Northern hemisphere the sun's azimuth
will be 180∘ (south). The solar azimuth is calculated from this equation:
\gamma=łeft{\beginarrayll\cos^‐1łeft(\frac\sin\delta\cos\phi‐\cos\delta\sin\phi\cosømega\cos\alpha\right) & \mboxfor solar time
≤ 12gamma = acosd((sind(delta)cosd(phi) - cosd(delta)sind(phi)*cosd(omega))/cosd(alpha));
if (hour(solarTime) >= 12) && (omega >= 0)
gamma = 360 - gamma;
end
disp(['Solar Azimuth = ' num2str(gamma)])
Solar Azimuth = 191.8568
In the northern hemisphere, a typical solar panel installation would have panels oriented
toward the south with a panel azimuth (β) of 180 ∘. At northern latitudes a typical tilt angle
(τ) would be 35∘. For fixed panels, the panel radiation is calculated from the total solar
radiation using this equation:
pRad=sRadcos(α)sin(τ)cos(β−γ)+sin(α)cos(τ)beta = 180; % Panel azimuth
tau = 35; % Panel tilt
pRad = sRadmax(0,(cosd(alpha)sind(tau)cosd(beta-gamma) + sind(alpha)cosd(tau)));
disp(['Panel Radiation = ' num2str(pRad) ' kW/m^2'])
Panel Radiation = 0.8989 kW/m^2
Create an Interactive Narrative with the Live Editor