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UO SRML Solar Calculator
Help

Table of Contents


Introduction

The Solar Calculator add-in for
Microsoft Excel is a program that operates closely with Excel to
provide a variety of functions concerning solar irradiance and other
matters related the position of the sun. This program was developed
by the University of Oregon Solar Radiation Monitoring Laboratory
(UO SRML). The solar position calculation is based on the SOLPOS
programwritten by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory
(NREL)which, in turn, is based on algorithms first published
by Joe Michalsky. In addition, calculations of PV power output and
related data are based on NREL's PVWATTS software, which incorporates
a PV performance model developed at Sandia National Laboratories.
For information about obtaining the SRML Solar
Calculator software, please contact us.

About this program release (v. 3.0)

This release of the Solar Calculator
brings the PV calculations into agreement with those of NREL's PVWatts
revised program in which a DC rating is multiplied by a computed derate
factor to give the AC power output. In addition, this release adds macro
functionality that allows the replication of a series of calculations
with a single mouse click. Finally, there are several new algorithms for
correcting rotating shadowband pyranomoeter data.

System requirements

The Calculator has been tested
with the following Microsoft operating systems: Windows XP, Windows 2000
Professional, Windows NT Workstation 4.0, and Windows 98. It is known to work
with Microsoft Excel XP, Excel 2000, and Excel 97. The program may
be compatible with certain other system configurations, but these have not been tested
by the UO SRML.
It is recommended that your computer have a
Web browser installed
on it so that you can conveniently view this help file while using the
Calculator. Either Netscape
Navigator or Microsoft Internet Explorer is compatible. You can use any
other browser to read this file, but the Calculator will not be able
to launch it automatically. Please note that you do not need to have
an Internet connection to your computer: except for a few links, this
help file is self-contained and it resides on your local computer.
Installation of the Solar Calculator will
result in the creation of a folder called C:\SRML on your computer,
and the total disk space used will be about 1 megabyte (1 MB). No changes
will be made to the Windows Registry database.
There are no other specific system requirements,
but as always, when running an application that does a great deal of
computation, you are best served by a computer with a fast processor
and lots of RAM.

Installation

If you have not already installed
the Solar Calculator, and you have an installation diskette or CD-ROM, here
is the procedure:
- Exit from Excel, if it is currently running.
- Insert the installation diskette in drive A: or B:, or
insert the CD-ROM in your computer's CD-ROM drive.
- Execute a file, on the diskette or CD-ROM, called Install.xls.
You can do this
by clicking on the file name in Windows Explorer, or by accessing the
Run ... option on the Windows Start menu, typing the
file name, and pressing the Enter key.
- If you are unable to execute the file as described above, then start up
Excel as you normally would, and open the Install.xls file.
- Follow any further directions displayed on your screen.
If you do not have an installation diskette or
CD-ROM,
or if your computer does not have a floppy disk drive or CD-ROM drive,
it is still possible
to install the Calculator. Please contact us for assistance.

Uninstalling the Calculator

It's simple to uninstall the Calculator:
(1) Remove Solar Calculator from Excel's list of Add-Ins, and (2)
delete the C:\SRML folder. You can do this in the reverse order,
but then Excel will display an error message on your screen.

A useful tip

Note: whenever you make a change to a setting, it
takes effect at once, and it is in effect the next time you use the
program. There is no need to explicitly save your work, since
this is done for you automatically. This behavior may differ from that of
other programs
you've used. The Solar Calculator was designed to be easy to use effectively,
and it does not interrupt your thought process to ask if you really mean
what you're saying.
In reality, though, nothing too drastic can
happen. With one exception, the Calculator cannot ever delete or change existing data in your
worksheet. Please note, however, that your worksheet's header row may be altered
by the Calculator. Otherwise, the only things that can change are the particular settings you've
indicated you want to use with the Calculator. And, as you'll see, it's very
easy to create these. The remainder of this help file is devoted to
the details of working with the Calculator.

The Main tab

This is the screen you see when the Solar Calculator
starts up.
Here, you select the program settings to usethese are
called station profilesand which algorithms to employ. It is
here that you actually run the Solar Calculator. Detailed information about these
and additional features follow the example screen below.

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Choosing a station profile

Station profiles are sets of program
parameters that you can create, edit, and delete. Here is where you choose the
particular profile to use for the calculations you want to perform. When the Calculator
starts up, it attempts to find a station profile that is appropriate for the
data in your active worksheet. However, you can override this behavior by selecting
a profile from the drop-down list.
When you first install the Solar Calculator, the list
contains a number of such station profiles, most of which correspond to
monitoring stations where we collect solar radiation data. (In addition, there may be
some profiles that are meant to be used with TMY2 data.) Using
other features of this software, you can tailor the list to suit your own
purposes. In particular, you can create multiple station profiles for selected
monitoring stations, and each of these profiles can specify parameters
that alter, in some respect, the Calculator's behavior.
Note that there is one profile, the Default
Station profile, which does not represent a real monitoring station. This
set of parameters merely exists so that you'll always have at least one
template to use when creating new profiles. Most of the parameters for
this profile can be edited, although the profile itself cannot be deleted.

Selecting algorithms

The Solar Calculator can perform from one
to three calculations simultaneously. Each calculation uses one of about fifty
distinct algorithms which you can choose using the three algorithm list boxes on
the Main tab. Many of these algorithms yield results deriving from the
position of the earth at given times, while others also involve figuring the
degree of refraction of the atmosphere, the amount of solar irradiance under
various conditions, or PV power output.
In the above screen example, you can see that the
two selected calculations have descriptive names preceded by short designations in
square brackets. Each of these codes consists of a category (PV, RAD, GEOM, or
XTRA), followed by a number. They are intended to help you navigate more quickly
through the drop-down lists of calculations.
In the PV category are algorithms closely related to
PV, or photovoltaic, applications. The RAD category consists of other algorithms that
concern solar irradiance. GEOM is a large category that groups algorithms that have to
do with computing the apparent position of the sun. Finally, XTRA is a collection of
algorithms that do not fit in the other three categories, or that are probably not
as commonly used as the others. As you'll see when we
discuss the Preferences tab, there is another program feature to help you
organize this list of algorithms (and the list of station profiles).
Besides choosing particular algorithms, you can
also specify the header text that Excel will display, respectively, in each
corresponding result column of your worksheet. Initially, these column headers
are set to the (long) names of each of the various algorithms. You'll probably
want to shorten them considerably. The above example screen depicts customized
column headers.
While the Calculator is limited to three calculations
at a time, you can perform more by simply repeating the process of
choosing algorithms and clicking the Run button.
For your convenience, any selected algorithms
and edited column headers are remembered for you as part of the station profile
you're currently using.

Computing with averaged time
values versus given time values

This program feature may be confusing at
first, but it is quite useful. For example, when computing the solar irradiance
on a tilted surface, you may be using a data file that contains global, diffuse,
and direct normal (beam) measurements averaged over a particular
time intervaltypically 5, 15, or 60 minutes. However, the time values
that are given in the data file generally represent the ending boundaries of these
intervals. So, using times mid-way between each of the given points in
the data file will more accurately model the circumstances in which such irradiance
measurements are valid. In such cases, you should select the Average with preceding
times option.
On the other hand, if you select the Use given
time option, all computations will be done as if the inputs (solar irradiance
values, air pressure, etc.) are those that were in effect at the exact times
found in the data file. This option is perfectly valid if you are generating
results that have to do only with the earth's position at a given time, and not
with any other measured, averaged input data.
For your convenience, the option you choose here
is remembered for you as part of the station profile you're currently using.

About data file column names

Near the bottom of the Main tab is a check-box labeled
Use English source column headers. When a check mark appears in this box (the default
setting), you'll notice that certain worksheet column headers consist of descriptive
English words, abbreviations and numbers. In addition, you'll find that the same sorts of names
occur in various drop-down list boxes on the Calculator form. These names will usually
suffice to convey the actual type of data found in corresponding worksheet columns.
Normally, you should leave this program feature in its default
state. If you click the box to remove the check mark, all the mnemonic names (in the worksheet
and in the Calculator form) will be replaced by
4-digit numbers. These numbers are used at the UO Solar Radiation Monitoring Lab when processing
data files automatically. No harm should come from repeatedly clicking this check-box. However,
keep in mind that the format that is active when you quit the Calculator will be in effect for
your data file.

The Run
button

The Run button does just what you'd
expect: it causes the Calculator to perform the calculations you've selected. However,
prior to this, your active Excel worksheet is checked for data that might cause problems
during the calculations. As well, the options and parameters you've specified on the
Calculator form are checked for consistency and completeness. Consequently, just after
clicking this button, you may see a message on the screen informing you of
a potential problem that needs to be addressed before the calculations can take place.

The Return to Excel
button

Clicking the Return to Excel button closes
the Calculator program and
allows you to perform any other Excel functions you choose.
Unfortunately, you cannot access your worksheet or
any general features of Excel while the Calculator is running. This is characteristic of all
Excel add-in applications that are compatible with Excel 97. However, you may quit
the Calculator at any time, and when you next run it, you'll find that all the
settings are just as you left them.

The Help button and context-sensitive help

Clicking the Help button causes your Web
browser to open this help document. Notice that this button appears on each tab, or page, of
the Calculator's form. The particular section of this file that you'll
see first depends on the Calculator tab that is active when you click the button.
Please note that context-sensitive help is available for nearly all features of
the Calculator program. To use it, position your mouse cursor on a feature, then right-click
to see the What's this? menu item nearby. Click this menu item to navigate directly
to documentation in this file that concerns the program feature you've selected.

The Station profile tab

This screen contains the basic parameter
settings that define a station profile, including its location and information about
certain data file columns. This is where some of the customizing of
station profiles is done, and it's where you can create new ones or delete
unneeded ones. Detailed information concerning features on this
tab follows the example screen below.

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Basic station profile
parameters

At the top of the screen, there is a set
of four important parameter settings: Latitude, Longitude,
Time zone, and Station code. Latitude and longitude are in
(decimal) degrees, with southern latitudes and western longitudes expressed as
negative values. Time zones are negative offsets from Universal Time Code (UTC)
west of Greenwich. If you have incorrect
values in any of these fields, the Calculator will not generate the results you
desire.
The station code is, by the UO SRML convention,
a 5-digit number that corresponds to a particular physical monitoring
station. In the National Solar Radiation Data Base, these values correspond
to WBAN numbers. Such codes also occur in our data files, and the Calculator uses the
code value to determine which station profile to load initially. Specifically,
the Calculator loads the profile that is first in alphabetical order
among any whose station code matches the one in the worksheet. If no match is
found, the Default Station profile is loaded. We have included a list of
these codes near the end of this help document.

Selecting a source for air
pressure

Air pressure is one of the inputs to about
a dozen algorithms which involve atmospheric refraction. As you can see, there
are several ways to specify it: as actual measured data values (in millibars) in a particular
worksheet column, as a default value in millibars, or as a
derived value that is calculated from altitude in meters. The
default value is also used whenever an air pressure value in the worksheet is
bad (flagged "99").


Selecting a source for
temperature

Temperature is another input that is used
for calculating refraction. It also has an effect on PV performance calculations.
It can be read from a given
column (of Celsius data) in the Excel worksheet. Alternatively, it can be
specified as a default
Celsius value. The
default value is also used whenever a temperature value in the worksheet is
bad (flagged "99").

Selecting a source for
wind speed

Like some of the other settings, wind speed can be
specified as a default value, or as data to be gotten from a particular worksheet
column. Wind speed, which should be in meters per second, is used by the Calculator
in modeling the performance of PV cells.
If the wind speed value in a particular row of your worksheet is bad (flagged "99"),
then the default value is assumed.

Selecting a source for
year

The Solar Calculator always needs specific dates
and times to determine the location of the sunor, according to Copernicus,
the earth. These values are taken from the first two columns of your active Excel
worksheet. However, the year portion of the date is normally found in the second
column of the worksheet header, in which case it is global to the worksheet,
understood to be the year in which all dates and times occur. For all typical UO SRML
data files, you should then specify the File header option.
In
the case of worksheet data we derive from TMY2
files, each month block of data values may occur in a different year. Consequently,
the Calculator cannot apply a single year value to the entire worksheet; instead,
the year must be in a column of its own. For TMY2 data, you should select the
'Year' column option. Note: If Use English source column headers is not
checked (active) on the Main tab, this option will read '8888' column.
If you have questions about using TMY2
data with the Solar Calculator, please contact us.

Creating a new station
profile

The way to create a new station profile is
to copy an existing one, then edit the copy. Choose a profile that is most like the
one you want to create, then click the New profile button. You'll
be asked to enter a name for the new profile, and this must be unique. You may
find it helpful to choose a name corresponding to the specific parameter settings
in the profile. For example, you might incorporate the tilt angle or an
irradiance column header in the name.
Important: Remember that any changes you
make to a profile take place immediately. Therefore, unless you really want to
edit an existing profile, you should click the New profile button
first, editing only the new copy.

Deleting a station
profile

When you click the Delete profile
button, the currently loaded profile is immediately deleted. The
Calculator then attempts to find another profile whose station code matches
the one in your Excel worksheet. If more than one exists, it will load the
one that is next, alphabetically; if none exist, it will load the Default
Station profile.
The Delete profile function is provided
so that you can dispose of experimental profiles or those that are just used
temporarily. However, the Calculator allows you to have as many profiles as you wantwell,
tens of thousands, anyhow. Consequently, you really don't need to
delete any of them. As you'll see further below, there is another way to
avoid having to select a profile from a very crowded list.

The Profile (part 2) tab

This screen supplements the Station profile
tab with parameter
settings that are required for real-world applications of solar irradiance
data. At present, such uses involve PV array performance and modeling of direct normal
(beam) irradiance. In the future, the Calculator
may support other application areas, such as daylighting and solar water heating.
Detailed information concerning features on this tab follows the example screen below.

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Entering tilt parameters

Tilt, in degrees, describes the angle
formed by a surface with respect to the plane that is tangent to
the earth's surface at its location. Aspect, also in degrees, describes the direction
of the tilted surface, with zero being due north, 90 due east, 180 due south, and 270
due west.
Note:
tilt and aspect settings here must agree with
those implied for any measured tilted irradiance values specified on the right side of this tab.
In other words,
if you set Tilt to 30° and Aspect to
180°, the selected tilted irradiance column (if any) in the list under the Use tilted measurements
option must contain data that have been measured by a device with this
same tilt and aspect. Failure to insure this consistency will lead to erroneous results.

Entering PV array parameters

Obviously, PV array settings are used for modeling the output of
PV arrays. There are three types of arrays to choose among: fixed, 1-axis, and
2-axis. In addition, you specify the DC power rating of the array, and, to see how much
money might be saved (on electric bills, at least), you can specify the energy cost in cents per
kilowatt-hour.
Notice
the non-editable text on the example screen that states the Derate factor. You can set the
value of this factor on the Derate tab, but its value is displayed here as well because it
is related to PV applications. The derate factor is used to derive the expected AC power output
from the DC power rating.
Note:
Tilted surface settings must specify the tilt
and orientation (aspect) of the array. In case you are modeling multiple arrays of various
power ratings and tilts, you can break the calculations up into stages and then, using normal
Excel functionality, sum the individual array results.

Selecting sources for
irradiance data

The Calculator requires irradiance inputs for
certain calculations. Here you can specify, first, whether actual tilted irradiance
data should be used, or whether the Calculator should
derive or model tilted irradiance based on global horizontal, direct normal, and
diffuse input values. Once you select one of the options Derive tilted irradiance or
Use tilted measurements, you must then select the actual column or columns in
your worksheet that contain these data.
Although you can specify any of the list values,
calculations using irradiance data will not be performed unless corresponding
columns actually exist
in your active Excel worksheet. The Calculator only checks for this at the moment you
click the Run button, so you can configure settings for
station profiles that will not be used immediately. (This is also true of all columns you
select on the Station profile tab.)

Using a calibration factor

This feature is probably mainly of interest to
the staff at the UO SRML. When you specify a calibration factor, you can then select
one of the three calibration algorithms from the Main tab. These algorithms use the
calibration factor to multiply the selected global, diffuse, or direct beam irradiance
value. Of course, this kind of functionality is easily obtained from Excel. However,
by allowing the user to perform these kinds of calculations from within the Solar Calculator,
certain processes can be automated via the Calculator's macro facility.

Selecting a source for albedo

Albedo, or ground reflectivity, is only used by the
Calculator to model tilted irradiance. Note that the second option, Snow cover column,
should be selected if your worksheet contains TMY2 data. The Default option should be
used if neither measured albedo nor snow cover data are available. A value of 0.2 is
typically assumed for the types of calculations this software performs.

The Derate tab

This screen contains parameters which are multiplied
together to compute a derate factor which is then used in computing
AC power output. Alternatively, an arbitrary derate factor may be entered without computing
it first.

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Entering derate parameters

Note: We wish to thank the National
Renewable Energy Laboratory,
whose own documentation
was closely adhered to in preparing the remarks below. Of course, we are indebted to
NREL, as well, for many of the algorithms implemented in this software.

Each of the individual factors that contribute to the
overall derate factor has a permissible range and default value as depicted in the screen
image above. Here is a brief summary explaining what each of these factors is meant to
model:
- PV module nameplate DC rating accounts for the accuracy of the manufacturer's
nameplate rating. Field measurements of a representative sample of PV modules may
show that the PV module powers are different than the nameplate rating or that
they experienced light-induced degradation upon exposure (even crystalline silicon
PV modules typically lose 2% of their initial power before power stabilizes after
the first few hours of exposure to sunlight). A derate factor of 0.95 represents
that testing yielded power measurements at STC that were 5% less than the manufacturer's
nameplate rating.
- Inverter and transformer is their combined efficiency in converting DC power to AC power.
A list of inverter efficiencies by manufacturer is at the California Energy Commission's
Consumer Energy
Center. These inverter efficiencies include transformer related losses when a transformer
is used or required by the manufacturer.
- Mismatch accounts for manufacturing tolerances that yield PV modules with slightly
different current-voltage characteristics. Consequently, when connected together electrically
they do not operate at their respective peak efficiencies. The default value of 0.98
represents a loss of 2% due to mismatch.
- Diodes and connections accounts for losses from voltage drops across diodes used to
block the reverse flow of current and from resistive losses in electrical connections.
- DC wiring accounts for resistive losses in the wiring between modules and the wiring
connecting the PV array to the inverter.
- AC wiring accounts for resistive losses in the wiring between the inverter and the
connection to the local utility service.
- Soiling accounts for dirt, snow, or other foreign matter on the front surface of the PV
module that reduces the amount of solar radiation reaching the solar cells of the PV module.
Dirt accumulation on the PV module surface is location and weather dependent, with greater
soiling losses (up to 25% for some California locations) for high-trafffic, high-pollution
areas with infrequent rain. For northern locations in winter, snow will reduce the amount
of energy produced, with the severity of the reduction a function of the amount of snow
received and how long it remains on the PV modules. Snow remains the longest when sub-freezing
temperatures prevail, small PV array tilt angles prevent snow from sliding off, the PV array
is closely integrated into the roof, and the roof or other structure in the vicinity
facilitates snow drifting onto the PV modules. For a roof-mounted PV system in Minnesota
with a tilt angle of 23°, snow was observed to reduce the energy production during
the winter by 70%; a nearby roof-mounted PV system with a tilt angle of 40° experienced
a 40% reduction.
- System availability accounts for times when the system is off due to maintenance and
inverter and utility outages. The default value of 0.98 represents the system being off
for 2% of the year.
- Shading accounts for situations when PV modules are shaded by nearby buildings, objects,
or other PV modules and array structure. A typical derate factor for multiple rows of
rack-mounted PV modules is 0.975. For the default value of 1.00, the Solar Calculator assumes the PV
modules are not shaded.
- Sun-tracking accounts for losses for one- and two-axis tracking systems when the tracking
mechanisms do not keep the PV arrays at the optimum orientation with respect to the sun's
position. For the default value of 1.00, the Calculator assumes that the PV arrays of tracking
systems are always positioned at their optimum orientation and performance is not adversely
affected.
- Age accounts for losses in performance over time due primarily to weathering of the PV
modules. The loss in performance is typically 1% per year. For the default value of 1.00,
the Solar Calculator assumes that the PV system is in its 1st year of operation. For the 11th year of
operation, a derate factor of 0.90 would be appropriate.
Each time you change one of the above factors, the derate
factor will be recomputed and shown in the derate factor textbox. (It will also be shown on
the second Profile tab where, however, it may not be altered.) It is possible to forego changing
the individual derate parameters and directly enter a new derate value: simply key the desired
fraction into the derate factor textbox.

The Preferences tab

This screen contains features that do not
pertain to a single station profile, but are more global in scope. Here you can
determine which station profiles and which algorithms you want to
see in the selection lists on the Main tab. As well, you can set the
size of the Solar Calculator screen to best match your monitor's dimensions and
pixel resolution.

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Setting station and
algorithm preferences

The two lists provide a means to specify
which station profiles and which algorithm types will be active;
i.e., selectable in the pull-down lists on the Main tab. This
is fairly straight-forward, but there is one side-effect that should be noted:
Only active station profiles are loaded automatically. This allows you
to determine which profileamong possibly several having identical
station codes gets loaded when a particular station code appears in
your Excel worksheet. Otherwise, it is always the one that is first in
alphabetical order.

Setting the Calculator
window size

Use this feature to adjust the Calculator's
window size so that you can comfortably read all the text and manipulate all
the controls. Clicking the up-arrow increases the window size; clicking the
down arrow decreases it. The size percentage relative to a default setting is
displayed to the right of these arrows. You cannot directly enter a percent
value in the text box. Note that, due to the way Excel deals with screen fonts, some
size settings will result in truncated labels or unintentional boldface
text. If you experiment a bit with different settings, you'll be able to find
one that works for your computer. Like all the Calculator's settings, your
choice of window size is remembered for you until you change it.

Types of calculations

Each of the currently provided algorithm types
are listed below:
- [PV1] AC power output (kW-hrs)
- [PV2] Cell temperature, estimated (degrees C)
- [PV3] DC power output (kW-hrs)
- [PV4] Irrad. transmitted to PV module (W-hrs/m^2/hr)
- [PV5] Value of AC power (cents)
- [RAD1] Beam from global irrad. (W-hrs/m^2/hr)
- [RAD2] Beam from tilted irrad. (W-hrs/m^2/hr)
- [RAD3] Tilted irrad., isotropic diffuse model (W-hrs/m^2/hr)
- [RAD4] Tilted irrad., Perez diffuse model (W-hrs/m^2/hr)
- [RAD5] Clearness index
- [RAD6] Tilted clearness index
- [RAD7] ET direct normal irrad. (W-hrs/m^2/hr)
- [RAD8] ET global horizontal irrad. (W-hrs/m^2/hr)
- [RAD9] ET total irrad., tilted surface (W-hrs/m^2/hr)
- [RAD10] Shadow-band correction factor
- [RAD11] Prime
- [RAD12] Unprime
- [RAD13] RSB global irrad., corrected (W-hrs/m^2/hr)
- [RAD14] RSB diffuse irrad., corrected (W-hrs/m^2/hr)
- [RAD15] Beam irrad., from corrected RSB (W-hrs/m^2/hr)
- [RAD16] Calibrate global
- [RAD17] Calibrate diffuse
- [RAD18] Calibrate direct normal
- [RAD19] Correct Rotating Shadowband Beam
- [RAD20] Cosine weighting factor
- [GEOM1] Air mass, relative optical
- [GEOM2] Air mass, pressure-corrected
- [GEOM3] Azimuth angle, solar (degrees)
- [GEOM4] Declination (degrees north)
- [GEOM5] Earth radius vector
- [GEOM6] Elevation angle, refracted (degrees)
- [GEOM7] Equation of time (minutes)
- [GEOM8] Hour angle (degrees west)
- [GEOM9] Incident angle, tilted surface (degrees)
- [GEOM10] Incident angle, cosine of
- [GEOM11] Sunset/sunrise hour angle (degrees)
- [GEOM12] Local sunrise time (minutes from midnight)
- [GEOM13] Local sunset time (minutes from midnight)
- [GEOM14] True solar time (minutes from midnight)
- [GEOM15] True solar time minus local standard time (minutes)
- [GEOM16] Zenith angle (degrees)
- [GEOM17] Zenith angle, refracted (degrees)
- [GEOM18] Zenith angle, cosine of
- [GEOM19] Zenith angle, refracted, cosine of
- [XTRA1] Day angle (degrees)
- [XTRA2] Ecliptic longitude (degrees)
- [XTRA3] Greenwich mean sidereal time (hours)
- [XTRA4] Julian day (days)
- [XTRA5] Local mean sidereal time (degrees)
- [XTRA6] Obliquity of ecliptic (degrees)
- [XTRA7] Mean anomaly (degrees)
- [XTRA8] Mean longitude (degrees)
- [XTRA9] Right ascension (degrees)
- [XTRA10] Time of ecliptic calculations (days)
- [XTRA11] Universal (Greenwich) Standard Time (hrs)

The Macros tab

This screen contains settings that allow you to
have your key strokes and mouse clicks saved and then recalled later on and repeated
automatically.

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Selecting a macro

The drop-down list contains the names of any
macros you have previously defined. You must select one from the list in order to
either run it or delete it. In the screen image above, no macro is currently selected.
Once you've chosen a macro, click the Run Macro button to execute it.
The Solar Calculator will repeat all the previously recorded key strokes and mouse
clicks that comprise the selected macro. If you don't think you'll use a particular
macro again, select it and then click the Delete Macro button. It will be
removed from the selection list.

Recording a macro

To record a new macro, first key in a unique name.
This will be the name that appears in the drop-down selection list above. Next, click
the Record Macro button. Now you can begin using the Calculator as you normally
do: change settings, select calculations, etc. When you have finished with the series
of steps that you wish to record, return to this tab and click the End Recording
button. Note that quitting the Calculator at any point during the recording process
will in effect end the recording.

Data file format requirements

This brief discussion will refer to the
graphic example directly below. In the example, we see one of the UO SRML's
data filesa Eugene 5-minute data file.

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 In the header row of the worksheet, there are
several points to note: the station code appears in cell A1, the year
in cell B1, and succeeding columns alternately contain a data type code or
the character zero. The latter indicates that the column contains a data
quality flag. (The UO SRML Web site contains documentation about station codes, data element
numbers, and quality
flags.)
Data quality flags are used by the Solar Calculator, for
certain computations, to determine whether to base calculations on actual data from
worksheet columns, or on default values either specified
in the station profile or furnished by the Calculator. Default values are used when
flags indicate that respective data is unreliable. Note that when the Calculator
computes certain new values (such as direct normal irradiance), it also generates an
additional corresponding
flag column with values pertaining to the resulting calculation.
The example worksheet shows a number of columns for
irradiance data: several for global and one for direct normal (beam). In addition,
we see that column A contains the yearday, and column B
specifies the time. Time is specified in the 24-hour format where 100 is
1:00 am, and 2400 is midnight. This example is shows only the left-most columns of
the file; other columns that are not visible here contain diffuse irradiance data
and various meterological data.
The Calculator handles data files having the most
commonly used time intervals: 5-minute, 15-minute, and hourly. Prior to executing
the algorithms you select, the dates and times are checked for validity and
consistency. If there is a time or date gap (or a repeated date and time) in your
worksheet, the Calculator will
notify you with a warning that results may be incorrect. Note, however, that in
TMY2 data files, there will usually be at least one such gap or repeated interval.
But, because any discontinuities occur at midnight in these files, calculations
concerning PV performance are unaffected.
If you only need to compute certain
geometrical results, such as sunrise and sunset times, you could
use a worksheet containing just two columns, with the station code and year in
the header row, and yeardays and times below.
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SRML numeric data element codes

If you are working with files from our Web site,
and you do not have the Use English column headers option checked on the
Calculator's Main tab, your Excel worksheet's header row and the contents of
various drop-down list boxes on the Calculator form will appear as 4-digit data
element codes. The tables below list these codes along with short descriptions.

Solar
radiation data
First three digits indicate data type
Fourth digit differentiates duplicate types |
1st |
2nd |
3rd |
0 Voltage output
of solar cell array (millivolts) |
|
2 Tilted 25 degrees |
|
4 West-facing |
6 South-facing |
8 East-facing |
3 Tilted 30 degrees |
|
6 South-facing |
5 Tilted 45 degrees |
|
6 South-facing |
6 Tilted 60 degrees |
|
6 South-facing |
1 Global and total solar
radiation (watt hours per square meter per hour) |
|
0 Horizontal |
|
0 Horizontal |
9 Ground-facing |
1 Tilted 15 degrees |
|
6 South-facing |
2 Tilted 25 degrees |
|
4 West-facing |
5 Southwest-facing |
6 South-facing |
8 East-facing |
3 Tilted 30 degrees |
|
6 South-facing |
5 Tilted 45 degrees |
|
6 South-facing |
6 Tilted 60 degrees |
|
6 South-facing |
9 Tilted 90 degrees |
|
2 North-facing |
6 South-facing |
2 Direct solar
radiation (watt hours per square meter per hour) |
|
0 Beam |
|
1 Normal incident |
3 Diffuse solar
radiation (watt hours per square meter per hour) |
|
0 Horizontal |
|
0 Horizontal |
4 Current output
of solar cell array (milliampere hours per hour) |
|
2 Tilted 25 degrees |
|
4 West-facing |
6 South-facing |
8 East-facing |
3 Tilted 30 degrees |
|
6 South-facing |
5 Tilted 45 degrees |
|
6 South-facing |
6 Tilted 60 degrees |
|
6 South-facing |
5 Power output
of solar cell array (watts) |
|
1 Tilted 15 degrees |
|
6 South-facing |
2 Tilted 25 degrees |
|
6 South-facing |
3 Tilted 30 degrees |
|
6 South-facing |
6 Tilted 60 degrees |
|
6 South-facing |

Spectral
solar radiation data
All four digits indicate data type |
1st |
2nd |
3rd |
4th |
7 Spectral
data (watt hours per square meter per hour, except for illuminance values which
are kilolux hours per hour) |
|
0 Horizontal |
|
0 Horizontal |
|
0 OG 570 |
1 RG 630 |
2 RG 695 |
3 UVA |
5 Zenith illuminance |
6 Diffuse illuminance |
7 Global illuminance |
8 Maximum illuminance |
9 Minimum illuminance |
0 Beam |
|
1 Normal incident |
|
0 OG 570 |
1 RG 630 |
2 RG 695 |
3 UVA |
7 Beam illuminance |
8 Maximum illuminance |
9 Minimum illuminance |

Meteorological
data
First three digits indicate data type
Fourth digit differentiates duplicate types |
1st |
2nd and 3rd |
9 Meteorological
data |
|
10 Sky condition |
11 Ceiling height (meters) |
12 Visibility (kilometers) |
13 Weather (10-digit code) |
15 Total rainfall (inches) |
17 Barometric pressure (millibars) |
20 Average wind direction (degrees) |
21 Average wind speed (meters per second) |
22 Standard deviation of wind direction |
30 Ambient temperature (degrees Celsius) |
31 Dew point temperature (degrees Celsius) |
33 Relative humidity (percent) |
37 Solar cell temperature (degrees Celsius) |
40 Average barometric pressure (millibars) |
51 Total sky cover (10ths of sky dome) |
52 Opaque sky cover (10ths of sky dome) |
53 Precipitable water (millimeters) |
54 Aerosol optical depth |
55 Snow depth (centimeters) |
56 Albedo |
65 Days since last snowfall |

SRML data quality flags

Data quality flags accompany most of the data columns in SRML
files. These appear in columns directly to the right of the actual data to which they correspond,
and they have the number zero in their header row. They are used for quality control, and to
indicate whether, or how, the data were processed.
The following table provides an explanation for each of our two-digit flags:

First digit |
Second digit |
1 Observed data |
|
1 Raw data |
2 Processed data |
3 Possible
problems in data |
8 Chart data |
2 Use of other
instruments to fill in data, or large amount of radio or other interference
subtracted |
|
1 Raw data, another instrument |
2 Processed data |
3 Corrected
data |
6 Interpolated data |
|
9 95 to 99.9% of data present |
8 90 to 95% of data present |
7 85 to 90% of data present |
6 80 to 85% of data present |
5 70 to 80% of data present |
4 60 to 70% of data present |
3 50 to 60% of data present |
2 40 to 50% of data present |
1 30 to 40% of data present |
0 less than 30% of data present |
7 Calculated
data |
|
1 Diffuse |
|
2 Tilted |
9 Missing or bad
data |
|
9 Missing or bad data |
0 Chart data
(obsolete) |
|
9 Chart data (obsolete) |

Notes

Flag 13. Data flagged
13 is not reliable for use in developing models. Often data is flagged 13 if it
might have something wrong. For example, it's not always possible to discern the
precise time when an Eppley NIP goes out of alignment. If the NIP is known to be
out of alignment on a particular day, then the direct normal data for the previous
day may be flagged 13.

Flag 23. Data are
corrected only if we can be reasonably sure of the correction, and if the resulting
values are within 5% of the actual values. For example, if snow is building
up on a pyranometer during the first part of the day, and the direct beam
measurements show that there were fewifany clouds, it is sometimes
possible to correct the global values. Any values that are manually changed from
the original data are flagged 23.

SRML station ID codes

The Solar Calculator relies on a 5-digit number in
cell A1 of the active Excel worksheet to initially determine which station profile to
load. For your own data files, we
recommend that you avoid using any codes that have historically been associated with SRML
stations. The following table lists most of these, though we add new ones from time to
time. The table also provides a standard 2-character identifier for each station; we use
these in naming our data files. Please
note that some of the monitoring stations listed are not currently in service, and
certain others are privately operated, requiring that special permission be obtained
to use data gathered there.

ID code |
Location |
Abbrev |
94002 |
Portland DEQ, OR |
P1 |
94003 |
Milwaukie MES, OR |
PL |
94005 |
Gladstone, OR |
GL |
94007 |
Scoggins Creek, OR |
SC |
94008 |
Forest Grove, OR |
FG |
94019 |
Aprovecho, OR |
AP |
94040 |
Ashland, OR |
AS |
94101 |
Green River, WY |
GR |
94102 |
Moab, UT |
MO |
94145 |
Dillon, MT |
DI |
94158 |
Cheney, WA |
CY |
94166 |
Klamath Falls, OR |
KF |
94167 |
Whitehorse Ranch, OR |
WH |
94168 |
La Grande, OR |
LG |
94169 |
Hermiston, OR |
HE |
94169 |
Hermiston (AgriMet), OR |
HN |
94170 |
Burns, OR |
BU |
94171 |
Twin Falls (Kimberly), ID |
TF |
94171 |
Twin Falls (Agrimet), ID |
TW |
94172 |
Picabo, ID |
PI |
94173 |
Parma, ID |
PA |
94174 |
Aberdeen, ID |
AB |
94181 |
Coeur d'Alene, ID |
CD |
94182 |
Boise, ID |
BO |
94249 |
Silver Lake, OR |
SL |
94250 |
Klamath Falls, OR |
KF |
94251 |
Christmas Valley, OR |
CH |
94252 |
Madras, OR |
MA |
94253 |
Corvallis, OR |
CV |
94254 |
Willamette High School, Eugene, OR |
WI |
94255 |
Eugene, OR |
EU |
94256 |
Bend, OR |
BE |
94257 |
Coos Bay, OR |
CB |
94258 |
Portland, OR |
PT |
94277 |
Hood River, OR |
HR |
94278 |
West Hood River, OR |
WR |
94279 |
Parkdale, OR |
PD |



© 2004, UO Solar Radiation Monitoring
Laboratory.
Last
revised: January 21, 2004.

Home page URL: solardat.uoregon.edu |