Validation of Models for the Calculation of Sun Positions and mapped Radiation on inclined Surfaces

In order to validate building simulation programs and to identify sources of errors in implemented models, it is necessary to evaluate individual physical effects step by step. For building simulations, the radiation load that hits buildings is a significant boundary condition. In order to reproduce these loads as accurately as possible, sun position models and weather data adapted to them are necessary. With the help of sun position models, the radiation data (usually available in horizontal or normal radiation) are mapped onto inclined and oriented surfaces. This paper examines a possible validation. For the analysis, different building simulation tools (NANDRAD, Radiance, IDA ICE, Modelica, TRNSYS, ETU Simulation) are compared with different time steps for specific dates using the result data azimuth and altitude. The locations are distributed over the northern and southern hemispheres, inside and outside the tropics and polar circles, and with large deviations from the standard meridian, thus allowing errors to be found in the implemented sun position models. In the following step, these building simulation platforms are compared with regard to their minutely radiation loads on building facades. Errors in the radiation mapping on inclined surfaces are hereby determined.