Ray tracing algorithm for accurate solar irradiance prediction in urban areas

Enrico M. Vitucci; Federico Falaschi; Vittorio Degli-Esposti

doi:10.1364/AO.53.005465

Applied Optics
Vol. 53,
Issue 24,
pp. 5465-5476
(2014)
•https://doi.org/10.1364/AO.53.005465

Ray tracing algorithm for accurate solar irradiance prediction in urban areas

Enrico M. Vitucci, Federico Falaschi, and Vittorio Degli-Esposti

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Enrico M. Vitucci, Federico Falaschi, and Vittorio Degli-Esposti, "Ray tracing algorithm for accurate solar irradiance prediction in urban areas," Appl. Opt. 53, 5465-5476 (2014)

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Abstract

A ray tracing algorithm has been developed to model solar radiation interaction with complex urban environments and, in particular, its effects, including the total irradiance on each surface and overall dissipated power contribution. The proposed model accounts for multiple reflection and diffuse scattering interactions and is based on a rigorous theory, so that the overall power balance is satisfied at the generic surface element. Such approach is validated against measurements in the present work in simple reference scenarios. The results show the importance of multiple-bounce interactions and diffuse scattering to obtain reliable solar irradiance and heat dissipation estimates in urban areas.

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	Weather Conditions
Horizontal irradiance	Clear sky	Scattered clouds	Partly cloudy	Hazy	Cloudy/Foggy
MAX GLOBAL IRR. ( $W / m^{2}$ )	Summer: 900–1000 Winter: 300–500	Summer: 400–600 Winter: 200–300	Summer: 300–400 Winter: 150–300	Summer: 200–300 Winter: 100–150	Summer: 100–200 Winter: 50–100
DIRECT IRR. (% of Global)	80%–90%	60%	50%	10%	0%
DIFFUSE IRR. (% of Global)	10%–20%	40%	50%	90%	100%

Material	Albedo
Asphalt	0.05–0.2
Sand	0.15–0.45
Tar/gravel	0.08–0.18
Grass	0.25–0.3
Trees	0.15–0.18
Concrete	0.10–0.35
Brick/stone	0.2–0.4
Red/brown tiles	0.10–0.35
Corrugated roofs	0.10–0.16
Highly reflective roofs	0.6–0.7
Dark-colored paint	0.15–0.35
Light-colored paint	0.4–0.8
White paint	0.8–0.9
Window glass	0.08–0.1

	April–October		Annual
Building height: 16 m; Street width: 15 m	6%	6%	8%
Building height: 40 m; Street width: 20 m	5.7%	11%	11%
	Italy (Cesena)	Egypt (Cairo)	Senegal (Dakar)

	Weather Conditions
Horizontal irradiance	Clear sky	Scattered clouds	Partly cloudy	Hazy	Cloudy/Foggy
MAX GLOBAL IRR. ( $W / m^{2}$ )	Summer: 900–1000 Winter: 300–500	Summer: 400–600 Winter: 200–300	Summer: 300–400 Winter: 150–300	Summer: 200–300 Winter: 100–150	Summer: 100–200 Winter: 50–100
DIRECT IRR. (% of Global)	80%–90%	60%	50%	10%	0%
DIFFUSE IRR. (% of Global)	10%–20%	40%	50%	90%	100%

Material	Albedo
Asphalt	0.05–0.2
Sand	0.15–0.45
Tar/gravel	0.08–0.18
Grass	0.25–0.3
Trees	0.15–0.18
Concrete	0.10–0.35
Brick/stone	0.2–0.4
Red/brown tiles	0.10–0.35
Corrugated roofs	0.10–0.16
Highly reflective roofs	0.6–0.7
Dark-colored paint	0.15–0.35
Light-colored paint	0.4–0.8
White paint	0.8–0.9
Window glass	0.08–0.1

Abstract

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Applied Optics