ª
 

½ The solar constant is defined as the quantity of

solar energy (W/m²) at normal incidence
outside the atmosphere (extraterrestrial) at the
mean sun-earth distance. Its mean value is
1367.7 W/m².
 longitude

j 
 

The arc or portion of the earth's equator intersected

between the meridian of a given place and a
reference meridian (usually the one from Greenwich,
England). The longitude is taken positive east of the
Greenwich meridian and negative west of the
Greenwich meridian
 ‹atitude j 
 

The angular distance north or south from the

earth's equator measured through 90 degrees.
The latitude is taken positive in the northern
hemisphere
 equation of time
j 
 
½

The equation of time describes the difference

between clock time and true solar time due to
the eccentricity in the earth's orbit and the tilt
of the earth's axis with respect to the ecliptic
plane. It is computed according to the
recommendations of the Illuminating
Engineering Society of North America
 extraterrestrial normal irradiance
j 

½

Irradiance produced by the sun, on a surface

perpendicular to its rays, on the outer limit of
the Earth's atmosphere
 extraterrestrial solar radiation

Solar radiation incident on the outer limit of

the Earth's atmosphere
 Global horizontal irradiance

Unit: W/m2

Irradiance produced by solar radiation on a

horizontal surface on the earth.
 Global solar radiation
½

ÉSum of direct solar radiation and diffuse

solar (sky) radiation.
 Greenwich

½ Borough of East Greater ‹ondon in England,

located at a latitude of 51.47°N and a longitude
of exactly 0°.
 ýlearness index j 


9atio of the global horizontal irradiance to the

extraterrestrial horizontal irradiance
 ýlock time
j 
    
½

Time used in a country, or part of a country.

Usually expressed relatively to the Greenwich
Meridian Time (GMT) used in the United
Kingdom: GMT+3 means three hours more
than GMT.
 ý
 
½ In some countries, for energy saving purposes,
one hour is added to clock time from the last
Sunday of March, to the Saturday before the
last Sunday of October. This is called daylight
saving time or summer clock time.
 ¬aylight

½ ÉÃisible part of global solar radiation.

 ¬iffuse fraction

9atio of the diffuse horizontal irradiance to

½ the global horizontal irradiance.

 ¬iffuse horizontal irradiance

Unit: W/m2

Irradiance produced by the diffuse solar

radiation on a horizontal surface on the earth.
 ¬iffuse solar (sky) radiation

½ That part of solar radiation that reaches the

Earth as a result of being scattered by air
molecules, aerosol particles, cloud particles or
other particles.
 ¬irect horizontal irradiance

Unit: W/m2

Irradiance produced by the direct solar

radiation on a horizontal surface on the earth.
 direct normal irradiance
½

Unit: W/m2

Irradiance produced on the earth by the direct

solar radiation on a surface perpendicular to
the sun's rays.
 reflectance

Unit: 1
9atio of the reflected radiant or luminous flux
to the incident flux in the given conditions.
The reflectance is also called the albedo for a
radiant flux.
 relative optical air mass

Unit: 1

9atio of the slant optical thickness to the

vertical optical thickness of the atmosphere .
When the curvature of the atmosphere and
atmospheric refraction are neglected.
 ª


½ Sky condition corresponding to a cloud index

larger than 0.6.
 Sky, intermediate
½

Sky condition corresponding to a cloud index

larger than 0.15 and smaller than 0.6.
 Sky, sunny
½

Sky condition corresponding to a cloud index

smaller than 0.15.
 Skylight

½ É Ãisible part of diffuse sky radiation.

 Slope

Unit: degree

Angle of a plane with respect to the horizontal.

A horizontal surface has a slope angle of 0
degree. A vertical surface has a slope angle of
90 degrees.
 Solar azimuth
½

Unit: degree

Azimuth angle of the sun. Measured clockwise

with respect to true north.
 Solar constant

½ Irradiance produced by the extraterrestrial

solar radiation on a surface perpendicular to
the sun¶s rays at mean yearly sun-earth
distance (150 Million km).
½ Its value is equal to 1367 W/m2
 solar declination

½
Unit: degree

Angle between the sun's rays and the earth's

equatorial plane. ¬eclination values are
positive when the sun is north of the equator
(March 20 to September 23) and negative
when the sun is south of the equator. Its
maximum and minimum values are +23.45 and
-23.45 degrees.
 solar hour angle
½

Unit: degree

The angle at which the earth must turn to bring the

meridian of the given point directly under the sun.
Negative in the morning: sun coming from the east.
Positive in the afternoon: sun going west. This angle
increases by 15 degrees an hour.
 solar radiation
½

Electromagnetic radiation from the sun. On

average, 98% of the sun's radiation reaching
the earth falls in the spectral range between
0.29 µm and 4 µm.
 Solar zenith angle
½

Unit: degree
Angle between the centre of the sun's disc and
the vertical:
½ 


ý
É Ãisible part of direct solar radiation.

 Transmittance
½ (for incident radiation of given spectral composition,
polarization and geometrical distribution)

Unit: 1

9atio of the transmitted radiant or luminous flux to

the incident flux in the given conditions.
 True Solar Time
j 
    

½ True solar time differs from clock time. It is specific

to a location. The difference between true solar time
and clock time is due to (1) differences between the
site longitude and the standard meridian (the
reference for clock time), (2) the equation of time ET
and (3) summer time (one hour), if applied:
½
 zenith angle

Unit: degree

Angle between a point in the hemisphere and

the vertical
  
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