ABSTRACT
Microclimatic effects are often very important factors in the comfort and energy performance of a building. The best-known microclimatic phenomenon is the urban heat island effect, where developed areas, especially those with large portions of exposed paving and heat-absorbing building surfaces, absorb and store solar radiation during the day. A solar site analysis pinpoints where on the building site shadows will be cast and at what time. Shadow studies have the advantage of being intuitive and of showing shading conditions over a large area simultaneously. Solar views have the advantage of showing exposed areas very clearly, but are not easily combined to condense a day's worth of views into one composite image. The sky dome projection is an excellent tool to evaluate the solar exposure on a building site or localized areas on a site. The Solar Pathfinder instrument is commonly employed by photovoltaic designers to evaluate the potential for solar arrays.
