Modelling of solar insolation on arrayed buildings with shading effect considered

Solar radiation plays a dominant role in numerous engineering systems. Shading, resulting from various objects, modulates the amount and distribution of irradiance received by surfaces. This research aimed to develop a model for assessing the spatial and temporal distribution of insolation on urban surfaces affected by building shadows. A Scilab code was implemented to compute building shadows using a direct mathematical algorithm. The results indicate that the front façade of the building is exposed to the sun for approximately 35–40% of the year’s hours, collecting more than 0.5 MW-hr/m \(^2\) ${}^2$ annually. It was observed that building shadows effectively mitigate solar radiation, especially when the building width is between 0.25 and 3 times the spacing between buildings. The ground exhibited the lowest shading factor value and the highest sensitivity to latitude. These findings are intended to serve as a reference for urban planners.