1. The Solar Resource

2. Overview Overview of the solar resource in the U.S. Features impacting solar irradiance »Latitude, cloud cover, seasonality Converting power to energy Tools to measure solar energy and shading An overview of solar energy systems 3/30/2009http://retc.morrisville.edu2

3. Solar PV 3/30/2009http://retc.morrisville.edu3 Solarbuzz LLC.

4. So Germany must be sunny, right? 3/30/2009http://retc.morrisville.edu4

5. Measuring the solar resource Magnetic declination Solar pathways Solar math (power to energy) Latitude and curvature Air currents 3/30/2009http://retc.morrisville.edu5

6. What impacts solar gain each day? Latitude (winter solstice) 3/30/2009http://retc.morrisville.edu6 http://dcweather.blogspot.com/2005/12/winter-time-in-washington_21.html

7. Sun Path – New York 3/30/2009http://retc.morrisville.edu7 N E W S Winter Solstice Equinox Summer Solstice This angle should be equal to your latitude

8. Magnetic Declination 3/30/2009http://retc.morrisville.edu8 http://sos.noaa.gov/images/Land/magnetic_declination.jpg

9. True south and declination 3/30/2009http://retc.morrisville.edu9 http://www.ngdc.noaa.gov/geomag/icons/us_d_contour.jpg

10. Declination corrections 4/3/2009http://retc.morrisville.edu10 Magnetic North True North True South 12°48’ W http://www.ngdc.noaa.gov/geomagmodels/Declination.jsp

11. Solar Angles by month in Morrisville 3/30/2009http://retc.morrisville.edu11

12. What impacts solar gain each day? Latitude 3/30/2009http://retc.morrisville.edu12 http://www.hort.purdue.edu/newcrop/tropical/lecture_02/04m.jpg

13. Morrisville’s Solar Resource 3/30/2009http://retc.morrisville.edu13 MonthMean W/m 2 /daykWh/m 2 /day January 63.8 February 98.8 March 140.9 April 182.1 May 220.5 June 231.5 July 224.2 August 203.0 September 159.6 October 101.0 November 59.3 December 44.7

14. Morrisville’s Solar Resource 3/30/2009http://retc.morrisville.edu14 kWh/m 2 /day = MonthMean W/m 2 /daykWh/m 2 /day January 63.8 February 98.8 March 140.9 April 182.1 May 220.5 June 231.5 July 224.2 August 203.0 September 159.6 October 101.0 November 59.3 December 44.7

15. Morrisville’s Solar Resource 3/30/2009http://retc.morrisville.edu15 MonthMean W/m 2 /daykWh/m 2 /day January 63.81.5 February 98.82.4 March 140.93.4 April 182.14.4 May 220.55.3 June 231.55.6 July 224.25.4 August 203.04.9 September 159.63.8 October 101.02.4 November 59.31.4 December 44.71.1 kWh/m 2 /day = Yearly mean power? 144.1 W/m 2 /day Yearly mean energy? 3.5 kWh/m 2 /day

16. Solar energy throughout the year 3/30/2009http://retc.morrisville.edu16 MSC weather station data

17. How does central NY compare? Average of solar energy throughout the year is 3.5 kWh/m 2 /day. »This is 1277.5 kWh/m 2 /year (365 days * 3.5 per day) »Albany has a daily average of 4.3 kWh/m 2 /day (1569.5 kWh/m 2 /year) »San Diego has 7.3 kWh/m 2 /day (2664.5 kWh/m 2 /year) 3/30/2009http://retc.morrisville.edu17

18. Solar energy 3/30/2009http://retc.morrisville.edu18

19. Cloud cover 3/30/2009http://retc.morrisville.edu19 http://www.colorado.edu/geography/class_homepages/geog_3251_sum08/07_rainshadow.jpg

20. Air Cells 3/30/2009http://retc.morrisville.edu20 Low pressure High pressure Deserts (sunny) Rain Forests (cloudy) http://www.earlham.edu/~biol/desert/hadley.JPG

21. Global Solar Energy 3/30/2009http://retc.morrisville.edu21 http://earth-www.larc.nasa.gov

22. Solar energy systems If you assume that systems costs are comparable in NY and southern California, which location has more expensive solar energy? 3/30/2009http://retc.morrisville.edu22

23. Estimating the Solar Resource 3/30/2009http://retc.morrisville.edu23

24. 3/30/2009http://retc.morrisville.edu24 Estimating the Solar Resource

25. 3/30/2009http://retc.morrisville.edu25 S E W

26. Estimating the Solar Resource 3/30/2009http://retc.morrisville.edu26 June (lowest line): 1+1+2+2+3 = 9% July (next up): 1+1+2+3+3 = 10% May: 1+1+2+3+3 = 10% August: 1+1+2+2+3 = 9% April: 1+2+2+3 = 8% September: 1+2+2 = 5% October: 1%

27. 3/30/2009http://retc.morrisville.edu27 Estimating the Solar Resource

28. Solar energy systems 3/30/2009http://retc.morrisville.edu28

29. Photovoltaics 3/30/2009http://retc.morrisville.edu29

30. Solar Thermal Electricity 3/30/2009http://retc.morrisville.edu30 Parabolic mirrors

31. Solar Hot Water 3/30/2009http://retc.morrisville.edu31 Domestic solar hot water system Flat plate collector (low temp) Evacuated tubes (higher temp) Solar hot water tank with heat exchanger Images courtesy of John Siegenthaler

32. Passive Solar Heating 3/30/2009http://retc.morrisville.edu32 Large windows facing south Conifers to the north Small windows to north Thermal mass

33. Summary 3/30/2009http://retc.morrisville.edu33 New York has an adequate solar resource for solar PV, solar hot water, and passive solar homes Solar power can be easily converted to solar energy (and we can account for shading) Incoming solar energy is affected by many factors such as latitude, cloud cover, and time of year Many systems can take advantage of solar energy

34. Phil Hofmeyer, Ph.D. Assistant Professor Ph: 315-684-6515 Email: hofmeypv@morrisville.eduhofmeypv@morrisville.edu Web: http://people.morrisville.edu/~hofmeypv/http://people.morrisville.edu/~hofmeypv/ Ben Ballard, Ph.D. Director, RETC Assistant Professor Ph: 315-684-6780 Email: ballarbd@morrisville.eduballarbd@morrisville.edu Web: http://people.morrisville.edu/~ballarbd/http://people.morrisville.edu/~ballarbd/ Contact Information http://retc.morrisville.edu