Geographic solar panel elevation

What is solar elevation?

The solar elevation is the angular distance between the imaginary horizontal plane on which you are standing and the sun in the sky. It is also known as the solar latitude angle and measured in degrees. In simple words, it tells at what height the sun is in the sky. In the morning and evening, the sun is low in the sky, near the horizon.

How to calculate solar elevation?

The solar elevation formula is as follows: Here, ɑ is the solar elevation angle, δ is the declination angle, ɸ is the latitude of your location, and h is the solar hour angle. Therefore, we require three variables (latitude, declination, hour angle) to calculate the elevation of the sun. Let’s one-by-one understand each of the three.

What is the maximum solar elevation angle?

At sunrise and sunset, this angle is 0°, meaning the sun is on the horizon. At solar noon, the sun reaches its highest point in the sky, resulting in the maximum solar elevation angle for that day. How to calculate solar elevation?

What is the highest solar elevation?

The highest solar elevation occurs when the sun is directly overhead, resulting in a 90° angle. This happens under specific conditions: At the equator during the equinoxes (around March 21 and September 21). At the Tropic of Cancer (23.5°N) during the summer solstice (around June 21).

Why is solar elevation important?

By understanding solar elevation better, you can effectively harness the sun’s power from dawn to dusk. Solar elevation is the angle between the sun and the horizon. It tells us how high the sun is in the sky. The higher the angle, the more direct sunlight we receive.

When is solar elevation lowest?

For people in the northern hemisphere, the solar elevation is lowest on December 21st (or 22nd). And for people in the southern hemisphere, the sun is the lowest in the sky on June 20th (or 21st). The plot below gives the monthly variation of the elevation angle for Denver (39.74° N, 104.99° W) and Sydney (33.87° S, 151.21° E).