Sunlight and solar radiation are fundamental drivers of the outdoor climate. Solar conditions impact how pedestrians perceive comfort and experience outdoor spaces. For example, shading from nearby buildings or trees can reduce the solar energy that reaches pedestrians, affecting perceptions of warmth and coolness. The path of the sun also varies throughout the year, rising higher in the summer and remaining lower in the winter. This results in seasonal changes to solar conditions that can limit the usability of outdoor spaces depending on the season.
Orbital Stack offers a variety of solar analysis tools that help designers optimize spaces for pedestrian comfort, daylight access, and solar performance while avoiding excessive overshadowing. Properly balancing solar exposure and shading is essential to creating environments with acceptable thermal conditions. By mitigating excessive solar exposure during warmer months and allowing beneficial sunlight during cooler seasons, designers can enhance the pedestrian experience and improve the year-round usability of outdoor spaces.
Orbital Stack also supports green space planning by evaluating Photosynthetically Active Radiation (PAR) throughout a project. Measuring PAR helps ensure that vegetation and green spaces receive appropriate levels of light for sustainable health throughout the year. In addition, evaluating the number of hours of direct sunlight a surface receives (Solar Access) and the total solar energy it accumulates enables designers to make more informed decisions about solar energy systems, façade performance, and renewable energy opportunities.
For daylight-focused assessments, Vertical Sky Component (VSC) measures the percentage of visible sky reaching a vertical surface, making it a valuable metric for evaluating daylight availability at building façades and windows. Combined with Sky View Factor, VSC provides designers with a more complete understanding of sky visibility and daylight performance within the built environment.
Orbital Stack’s solar metrics include:
- Clear Sky Solar Access: Measures the number of hours during the day that a specific location can receive direct sunlight.
- Clear Sky Solar Exposure: Measures the amount of direct sunlight an area receives as a percentage over a specified time period, assuming ideal, cloudless sky conditions.
- Daily Light Integral for PAR: Measures the daily amount of photosynthetically active radiation (PAR) received by a surface to support landscape and green infrastructure design.
- Sky View Factor: Measures the percentage of visible sky from a specific location, helping evaluate daylight availability, urban form, and the impact of surrounding obstructions.
- Vertical Sky Component (VSC): Measures the percentage of direct and diffuse sky light, relative to an unobstructed sky, reaching a vertical surface, such as a window or façade, helping evaluate daylight availability and the impact of surrounding obstructions.
- Total Solar Energy: Calculates the cumulative solar energy received by a surface over the selected simulation period, helping evaluate solar potential and energy performance.
Incorporating these solar insights into early-stage design empowers designers to create spaces with improved pedestrian comfort, enhanced daylight performance, and more sustainable, energy-conscious developments.
