Angle of Sun by date and zip code?

In summary, the conversation is about a sun dial, and the person is trying to figure out the angle of the sun on a certain date in order to get the best efficiency from their solar panels.
  • #1
gary350
258
53
TL;DR Summary
Angle of sun by date & zip code.
I don't know the correct works search to find this info online. I have been doing word searches since about Dec 15, 2022 but not finding what I want.??????? Some where there much be a chart by date and zip code for sun angle.

I built a sun dial in the yard to learn the angle of the sun on certain days. I found information on angle or reflation online. I have 9 solar panels to put up and 2 solar projects plus a tiny green house. If I know angle of sun on certain date and the date that I need to get max sun on solar projects then I can determine the angle of each project to get the max efficiency at a certain date.

TN is zip 37129 we have about 95% over cast and very dark clouds this time of the year so my sun dial often gives me no information most of the time. Yesterday sun came and went over and over and today too. Our solar 12 noon is 11:55 am but now we are on daylight saving time our solar 12 noon is 12.55 pm. If we have clouds for 1 hour at 12:55 pm I get no good angle readying on the sun dial.
 
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  • #2
At an equinox, the declination of the Sun at midday is your geographical latitude. The analemma will give you the declination on other dates. Given the date and your latitude, you can read the equation of time and the changing declination from the diagram. The equation of time needs to have minutes adjusted for your longitude within your 15° wide time zone.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Analemma#As_seen_from_Earth
 
  • #3
NASA has the Horizons system web page:
https://ssd.jpl.nasa.gov/horizons/app.html#/
It allows you to pick an object (such as the Sun), a viewing location, time range and step size, filter the information you want ( such as Azimuth and Elevation), and then produce a table with the results.
 
  • #4
Try this: https://nsrdb.nrel.gov/

But I bet if you used solar power in your search terms there are a bunch if resources.
 
  • #5
Does it have to be by Zip Code? Some, like 99740, are pretty big.
 
  • #6
Zip codes only work in the USA, with access to the official database.
Latitude and longitude work everywhere that Google Earth has coverage.
The local time correction to the analemma = (Longitude MOD 15°) * 4 minutes.
 
  • #7
Baluncore said:
Zip codes only work in the USA
And the Federates States of Micronesia and the Republic of the Marshall Islands., Oh, and can't forget the Commonwealth of the Northern Marianas.

You need to play more trivia contests in bars!
 
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