Monthly Design Data for Maximum Solar Radiation Falling on Collector Arrays in Baghdad City

Abstract

Increasing use of solar energy as a clean and free solution for energy demand necessitates proper use of its equipment, enhanced spatial planning and distribution of solar collectors, optimum directional facing and tilt angle to ensure maximum solar radiation falling, and decreasing as possible as the shading effects of panel arrays. Most existing references lack comprehensive data about shading effects that varied along the year and design of solar array. In the present work, enhanced theoretical design data of solar collector arrays were tabulated for each month in Baghdad. MATLAB program was used to calculate the maximum clear sky solar radiation per unit area per day. The tabulated data yields an economically saved design of solar field or rooftop collector systems. The results indicated that, the shading effect on panel arrays almost vanishes when the distance between two panel rows to panel height ratio is greater than 1 in summer and greater than 2 in winter.