Solar Standard Test Conditions Question
Need help understanding this or else it is just wrong, am very confused, any help appreciated--- "By convention, solar cell efficiencies are measured under standard test conditions (STC) unless sta...
Forum Discussion
Thanks for the clarification. Right. Latitude would be 48 not 42.
I should clarify that the "vertical down to the sun" is the zenith distance and from the sun down to the horizon is the sun's altitude, so 90-Alt=ZD
With Dec zero (twice a year at the Equinox) noon latitude = ZD
What you can't have anytime, anywhere, is ZD 48, tilt direct at sun 37, and altitude 42. Direct tilt always = ZD
The convention is to measure "tilt" as the angle at the low end of the panel from the high end of the panel to the ground (with the ground flat to the horizon)
BTW it may be no coincidence that Lat 48N is also where the nautical mile of 6,080 feet is taken from at 1 minute of latitude, since this is about half the way from the pole to the equator--the Earth is not an exact sphere, being fatter in the north half.
Maybe they took solar STC at 48N for the same reason, to get an average of some sort.
I should clarify that the "vertical down to the sun" is the zenith distance and from the sun down to the horizon is the sun's altitude, so 90-Alt=ZD
With Dec zero (twice a year at the Equinox) noon latitude = ZD
What you can't have anytime, anywhere, is ZD 48, tilt direct at sun 37, and altitude 42. Direct tilt always = ZD
The convention is to measure "tilt" as the angle at the low end of the panel from the high end of the panel to the ground (with the ground flat to the horizon)
BTW it may be no coincidence that Lat 48N is also where the nautical mile of 6,080 feet is taken from at 1 minute of latitude, since this is about half the way from the pole to the equator--the Earth is not an exact sphere, being fatter in the north half.
Maybe they took solar STC at 48N for the same reason, to get an average of some sort.
