The reliance of insolation pattern on surface aspect

Abstract

The Sun's radiated energy is an important source in realizing the green technology concept construction. When interacting with the atmosphere and objects on the Earth's surface incoming solar radiation (insolation) will create insolation patterns that are ambiguous and as a result need to be investigated further. This paper explores the insolation pattern and ambiguities against topographic surfaces in the context of direct, diffuse, and reflectance irradiance. The topography is modeled from LiDAR data as Digital Surface Model (DSM) and Digital Terrain Model (DTM). The generated DSM and DTM were converted to Triangular Irregular Network (TIN) format within the Arc GIS environment before the insolation pattern could be visualized. The slope and aspect of the topography has an impact on the insolation which is the emphasis of this paper. The main outcome from the study is the insolation map and plots of relationship between the insolation and surface aspect. The findings from this study should contribute to the sustainable practices of green building technology.

An index to evaluate the amount of the solar radiation for a surface with eight directions

“…The solar radiation to reach directly the surface of the earth from the sun is called the direct solar radiation [7]. On the other hand, solar radiation reflected by the atmosphere and clouds is called the diffuse solar radiation [7]. All of the solar radiation falling on the surface of the earth is called the global solar radiation.…”