ptimised array shape
(courtesy: Pfleiderer Dachziegel)
Solar Pathfinder - The Solar Pathfinder has been the standard in the solar
industry for solar site analysis for decades. Its panoramic reflection of the site
instantly provides a full year of accurate solar/shade data, making it the
instrument of choice.
SunEye™ - The Solmetric SunEye™ (patent pending) is a hand held electronic device
that allows users to instantly assess total potential solar energy given the
shading of a particular site. Identifying the shading pattern early in the process
reduces the expense of system and home design and improves the efficiency of the
final system or house.
Solmetric iPV - is an iPhone® based site evaluation tool, providing full solar
site analysis in an affordable hand held package.
HORIcatcher - HORIcatcher is an easy and fast tool to take outdoor pictures of the
horizon. The pictures can be used to determine the solar energy input, sunshine
duration and sun exposure reduced by obstacles like trees, houses or mountains.
HORIcatcher is supplied with a digital camera.
Pilkington Sun Angle Calculator - This handy tool provides a relatively simple
method of determining solar geometry variables for architectural design, such as
designing shading devices or locating the position of the sun relative to a
particular latitude and time.
Sonnenbahn Indikator Pro - is a simple tool for site evaluation.
Autodesk ECOTECT Analysis -
is an industry leading building analysis program that allows designers to work easily in 3D and apply
all the tools neccesary for an energy efficient and sustainable future.
Global Meteorological Database for Solar Energy and Applied Meteorology.
METEONORM is a comprehensive climatological database for solar energy applications:
a meteorological database containing comprehensive climatological data for
solar engineering applications at all points of the globe between the polar
circles; a computer program for climatological calculations;
a data source for engineering design programs in the passive, active and
photovoltaic application of solar energy with comprehensive data interfaces; a
standardization tool permitting developers and users of engineering design
programs access to a comprehensive, uniform data basis.
Shadow Analyser -
Shadow Analyzer is an advanced parametric CAD tool
for professionals in the area of Solar Energy Engineering and Architecture.
Shadows is a program used to design sundials and astrolabes and it is very
useful also in solar energy engineering. Supports plane sundials with polar
style of any orientation and reclination, analemmatic sundials, cylindrical and
bifilar sundials. Simulates, displays and animates the shadow of the style and
offers complete ephemeris of the Sun and draws the Solar Diagram.
Amethyst ShadowFX -
Amethyst ShadowFX is a sun and shadow modeling program for architects and town planners.
Amethyst ShadowFX enables you to easily generate shadow profiles cast by buildings and
other objects for any latitude, longitude and time of year.
A PC-tool to calculate shadows on arbitrarily oriented surfaces.
For both, active use of solar energy (domestic hot water, photovoitaics)
as well as for passive solar architecture, shading or lighting of
planes plays an important role Sombrero provides quantitative results for
the shading of collectors or windows by buildings, trees, overhangs or the horizon.
Web site available in:
Panorama master -
with "Panorama master" you can make exact matched set of photos - base for panorama picture.
software simulates sun path diagrams for arbitrary latitude.
Mit dem städtebaulichen Simulationsprogramm GOSOL können städtebauliche
Planungen solar+energetisch schnell und zielsicher verglichen, bewertet und
Web site available in:
Sustainble by design - Sustainable By Design provides a suite of shareware design tools on sustainable energy topics.
SOURCES AND ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
Burns, P.J.: Building Solar Gain Modelling; Passive Solar Buildings, Balcomb, J.D., editor, MIT Press 1992, ISBN 0-262-02341-5.
Olgyay, A., Olgyay, V.: Solar Control and Shading 