[Company name]

BIOCLIMATIC ARCHITECTURE

CARBON DIOXYDE EMISSIONS, COMPARAISON BETWEEN FUEL OIL AND

BIOMASS

ASSIGNMENT TWO | MARCH 12TH 2015

BOGHOS KIZIRIAN 20103414 GEORGE YAZBEK 20101723

NADIM EL HINDI 20082422
424 | BIO-CLIMATIC ARCHITECTURE | FADY MOUCHARAFIE
SPRING 2015 | FAAD | NOTRE DAME UNIVERSITY

BIO-CLIMATIC RESEARCH

SOLAR RADIATION INTENSITIES

BASED ON 34 EARTH LATITUDE NORTHS SUN-PATH DIAGRAM

INTRODUCTION
Sun path diagrams are diagrams that
show the path of the sun in relation to
the Earth during the day. In the figure
on the right hand, it shows how the
sun's path changes during the year at
Tucson, and it also demonstrates the Figure: Different sun-path diagrams on extreme
locations on earth
sun's path at different locations on the
globe. 1
The sun path varies with the latitude of
the location, changing the exposure on
the surface;
the sun path below,
represents the sun trajectory in
Lebanon, at 34N Latitude.2

Figure: Sunpath of Lebanon, 34N Latitude.

SOLAR RADIATIONS IN LEBANON

The amount of radiation obtained by
structures is verified by their orientation
towards
the
sun.
The
variation
differences of solar radiation intensities
between the different building facades Figure: 3d sunpath diagram showing shadow
of orientations and the horizontal variation during Winter (right), summer (Left)6
surface are shown in the graph. 3
GRAPH ANALYSIS
The wall on south receives the next
highest intensity in winter (when the
Sun is low) but it receives very little in
summer; this is because when the sun is
low, the faade harvests more sun
radiations (4.5 KWh/m2 per day). In
Summer, the southern faade harvests

Figure:

Variation

of

the

Solar

Radiations

on

1
http://www.atmo.arizona.edu/students/courselinks/fall07/nats101s31/lecture_notes/sun
paths.html
2 primedesignpea.com/pdf/2005,_Climate_and_Comfort.pdf
3 primedesignpea.com/pdf/2005,_Climate_and_Comfort.pdf
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BIO-CLIMATIC RESEARCH

less radiations (0.5 KWh/m2 per day),

and the horizontal surfaces level
increases to the maximum (8.0
KWh/m2 per day). On the spring
(March / September), the south east
and south west facades reach their
maximum in harvesting solar radiations
(3.3 KWh/m2 per day). As for the east
and
west
facades
reach
their
maximum in June (3.0 KWh/m2 per
day). The northern faade has the
lowest average regarding the ratio of
radiation harvest (0.3 KWh/m2 per day).

Different facades in addition to the horizontall7

Figure: Weekly values (solid line) and moving

averages (broken line) for solar radiation intensity
on a horizontal surface in Beirut from 28 January
1985 to 26 February 1986.8

For the horizontal surface, the intensity

reaches a peak level of some 1 800
W/cm in June and decreases to its
lowest level close to 500 W/cm2 in
December.
The higher range of values in excess of
the annual mean of about 1 100
W/cm prevails from the spring equinox
(22 March) to the autumn equinox (22
September).
For the inclined target at any time of
the day, the intensity prevailing in MayJune was appreciably higher than in
September-October.
At noon in Beirut for instance, the
Radiation intensity under average
conditions should be about 19 W/m2 (1

Figure: Weekly values (solid line) and moving

averages (broken line) for solar UV-A radiation
intensity on a vertical surface in Beirut from 28
January 1985 to 26 February 1986..9

4 Author Analysis
6 primedesignpea.com/pdf/2005,_Climate_and_Comfort.pdf
7 http://www.newlearn.info/packages/clear/thermal/buildings/configuration/building_orientation.html
8 http://almashriq.hiof.no/lebanon/600/610/614/solar-water/idrc/10-19.html
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BIO-CLIMATIC RESEARCH

900 W/cm2) in May-June, and about

17 W/m2 (1 700 W/cm2) in
September-October on an inclined
target.
CONCLUSIONS
The orientation away from the South
would obtain the least sunshine
throughout the day, but in the graph it
shows that in Winter it is desirable to
have some solar heat gain, when the
sun is low, an orientation towards the
Equator may be desirable.
However, in summer, way more
radiation falls on the horizontal
surface than on the north face. This is
due to the sun that is much higher in
the sky, so that the incidence angle
prefers the horizontal surface. The south
part reaches its highest point in the
evening and morning. 5

Figure: Effect of target orientation on the received

solar UV-A radiation throughout the day in beirut
(23 October 1985).

HARVEST DIRECT SOLAR RADIATIONS

ILLUSTRATE BY AN EXAMPLE SHOWING MATERIALS AND TECHNIQUES.

INTRODUCTION
The sun provides solar radiations or
heat that can be used as energy
through
different
passive
solar
design, solar space heating and
electric generation, and solar hot
water systems. 10
TECHNIQUE DESCRIPTION
One technique is the photovoltaic cell
which is a renewable source of energy
that does not produce the greenhouse

Figure: Diagram of a photovoltaic cell12

9 http://almashriq.hiof.no/lebanon/600/610/614/solar-water/idrc/10-19.html
5 http://www.newlearn.info/packages/clear/thermal/buildings/configuration/building_orientation.html
10 http://www.ext.colostate.edu/pubs/consumer/10624.html
3

BIO-CLIMATIC RESEARCH

effect.
Photovoltaic
solar
panels
convert solar radiation or insolation
into direct electricity (DC). Insolation
is knows as watt per square meter
when denoting to electrical generation.
Photovoltaic solar systems are several
panels connected together with an
electrical disconnected. 11
GRAPH READING
On a clear day, the total insolation is
about 1000 watts per square meter.
A regular household demand is around
220 watts. The peak sunlight or solar
radiation hours is determined by
measuring the insolation. 9

Fi
gure: Annual Useful solar energy, area compared to
the household annual demand 13

The graph on the right shows how the

energy collected from a solar panel
varies against the area of the panel.
The household demand for an averagesized house is around 2,200 kWh per
year, and is shown in blue. The green
line is a typical evacuated tube solar
panel; the orange is a flat plate panel.9
EFFICIENCY VS MATERIAL
The other graph shows the efficiency
of solar panels as the panel
temperature increases.
Due to the
inefficient geometry of packing glass
tubes
together,
evacuated
tube
systems start with a lower efficiency
than that of flat plate systems
However, as the panel temperature
increases, the vacuum insulation is
verified and the efficiency decreases
slighter
than of flat plate panels. 13
11
http://www.ext.colostate.edu/pubs/consumer/10624.html
13 http://www.viridiansolar.co.uk/Solar_Energy_Guide_3_3.htm
12 wattpatrol.com
4

BIO-CLIMATIC RESEARCH

REFERENCES

www.ext.colostate.edu/pubs/consumer/10624.html
wattpatrol.com
www.viridiansolar.co.uk/Solar_Energy_Guide_3_3.htm
www.newlearn.info/packages/clear/thermal/buildings/configuration/building_orientation.html
primedesignpea.com/pdf/2005,_Climate_and_Comfort.pdf
almashriq.hiof.no/lebanon/600/610/614/solar-water/idrc/10-19.html
www.atmo.arizona.edu/students/courselinks/fall07/nats101s31/lecture_notes/sunpaths.
html
http://cleantechnica.com/2014/02/01/real-cost-solar/

14 http://www.viridiansolar.co.uk/Solar_Energy_Guide_3_3.htm
5