Sun Path Diagrams

Objective

Understand sun’s position and earth’s movement in general as well as applicable to your site.

Outcome

Students will learn how to read sun path diagrams, understand earth’s movement in different latitudes and how much time a region/site is exposed to sun, in order to design appropriately.

Requirements

Laptop, internet connection

Prerequisites

Fundamental know how of reading the sun path diagrams; understanding of terms such as Altitude, Azimuth, summer/winter solstice and information of your site’s coordinates. 

Procedure

This is a simulation software based activity, where the software is an open source ‘Sun Earth Tools’ (www.sunearthtools.com) which simulates the sun path of the region that you select on the globe. It also has other features of calculating carbon emissions, photovoltaic payback, etc, which can be explored as well, by the student. 

Step 1: Open the online software. Read the instructions given and get equipped with the interface. 

Step 2: The student can start exploring different regions, countries and observing how the sun’s path according to the position on the earth changes. 

Step 3: Let the student enter the coordinates of one’s own site that is selected in the design studio, alternatively their own city and college. Understand the sun’s path on your site, azimuth angle and amount of sun’s heat your site will receive. 

References

https://www.sunearthtools.com/