Color to refelect efficiency of Solar Panels from sun pos.
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Hello,
I'm a newbie to Sketchup and interested in installation of solar panels.
I would like to know if it is possible (probably with a ruby script) to compute the face color of an object (solar panel) to reflect its efficiency, based on the solar angle.
Red (Poor) to Green (Good), or grey scale from 0 to 100%.
Idealy, the color computation could be done in real time when the sun position changes.The maximum efficiency is when the sun is perpendicular to the surface. If it's not, the surface of the panel that "sees" the sun is diminished :
SeenSurface = PanelSurface * cos(SunAngle)
with SunAngle = angle between the direction of the sun, and the perpendicular to the face.I've done some ruby programing some time ago, and would like to start in Sketchup with this type of project.
Can you tell me if it looks possible ? If so, any hint on where to start ?Paul (from France)
PS : The panels can accept angled light up to a certain angle. The response curve of the panels could be added to reflect that also.
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Yeah, that all sounds do-able. Would be a fun project. The panel is a flat face, and would all be colored the same color, right? Not a gradient of colors applied across the face?
Chris
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Yes Chris, same color for the panel.
It's about the same thing that Sketchup already does with the color of a face :
- A white face displays white if the camera is perpendicular to the face,
- and black if it is roatted 90°,
- with grey scale in between.
Paul
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Well ... it looks like what I'm describing is already in place when you turn shadows on :
The color of the face is not determined by the angle between the camera and the perpendicular to the face, but the angle with respect to the sun. You can tilt your view, the faces don't change color.Still, I'd be interested in coloring the faces in "false color" based on the sun angle.
Anybody would know where to start?
Thanks.
Paul
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