Solar

Angles

Sym
bol

Description

Equation

Solar
Altitude

Suns position
in the sky
from the
horizontal
surface

Sin=cosL cos cosH + sinL sin

Solar
azimuth

Suns position
in the sky
measured
from the
south

Local
altitude

Solar
declination

Solar time
Surface
azimuth
angle

cos

sinsin Lsin
coscos L

The position
of the object
measured in
latitude and
longitude
Angle
between the
earth-sun line
and the
equatorial
plane .It is
also known as
the function
of the date .
Hour angle
-

Surface
solar
azimuth
angle

Angle of
incidence

Define as the
angle
between the
incoming
solar rays and
a line to
normal to the
surface .

Tilt angle
of the
surface

Tilt angle of
surface from
the

=23.45sin

[ 360 (284+ N )]
365

y= -

Cos=coscosysin +sincos

horizontal

Incident
angle

Apparent
solar time

Measured
from
horizontal
surface(angl
e QOP in
figure 5)

Measured
from
vertical
surface
(angle QOP
in figure 5)

AST

Is important
because the
sun appears
to move at a
rate of 360
in 24th
having an
apparent
rate of
motion of
4min/ of
longitude.

AST=LST +

ET ( LSM LON )
+
60
15