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Calculates the position of the center of the sun in the sky at locations, dates, and times specified by the user. Numerous calculation options are available. Includes a graphing utility that allows custom charts to be displayed on the screen.
Keywords
solar geometry, sun position
Validation/Testing
N/A
Expertise Required
Basic understanding of solar geometry.
Users
100.
Audience
Architects, building designers, fenestration experts, agronomists, outdoor sports enthusiasts, earth scientists, outdoor film makers, museums.
Input
User-friendly I/O screens, time of year and location.
Output
Results can be printed directly to a printer, or saved to a print file or to files formatted for importing into graphic plotting programs. Custom charts can be displayed on the screen, saved as HPGL or PostScript files, or printed directly.
Computer Platform
Windows-compatible personal computers.
Programming Language
Visual BASIC
Strengths
Calculates solar positions for a sequence of dates and times, sunrise and sunset times, solstices and equinoxes, solar time to standard time conversions, daylight saving time, and finds the dates and times when the sun is within a user-specified distance from a specific direction in the sky. Can also provide a continuous display of time and solar position. Direct link to companion program PathPlot which plots sunpath charts for any location, using either solar time or standard time for the hour lines.
Weaknesses
N/A
Contact
Availability
SunPath version 3.2 is available from the web site at no cost.
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