Solar & Daylight Data
Daylight & Orientation: Melbourne City Centre, Australia
How to research daylight & orientation for a specific site in Melbourne City Centre — the controlling authority, source documents, and checks to run before you rely on a number.
On this page
Last updated September 2, 2026 · Location data from the [GeoNames AU dump](https://download.geonames.org/export/dump/AU.zip) (CC BY 4.0, snapshot 2026-08-31, GeoNames ID 11523810). Regulatory starting point: [Australian Building Codes Board and the applicable state or territory authority](https://ncc.abcb.gov.au/). Figures are illustrative — verify against the current locally adopted edition for the site. Solar-method context: [NOAA Solar Calculation Details](https://gml.noaa.gov/grad/solcalc/calcdetails.html); the Harth monthly table uses a simpler declination and geometric-daylight approximation whose stated limitations must be retained. Project-date refinement reference: [NREL Solar Position Algorithm](https://midcdmz.nrel.gov/spa/).
Direct answer
For Melbourne City Centre at -37.8150, 144.9666, the declination-only solar-noon altitude is approximately 28.7° at the June solstice, 52.2° at an equinox and 75.6° at the December solstice. Refine these geometry checks with the project date, civil time, facade azimuth, terrain and local horizon. The reproducible location record is GeoNames ID 11523810 in administrative area 07, at -37.8150, 144.9666; replace it with the surveyed parcel point before relying on the result. As a transparent geometry check, declination-only solar-noon altitude is about 28.7° at the June solstice, 52.2° at an equinox and 75.6° at the December solstice. Representative 21st-day geometry ranges from about 9.4 hours in June to 14.6 hours in December; this excludes atmospheric refraction, terrain and obstruction effects. The cited national authority is a discovery starting point; current local documents and a named qualified reviewer control project use of this daylight and building orientation record.
Content and cited inputs reviewed by Scott Barrington, Harth founder and architectural technology specialist · Published 2026-08-26 · Updated 2026-09-02.
What must be verified for Melbourne City Centre?
Melbourne City Centre is represented here at approximately -37.8150, 144.9666 for discovery and workflow planning. A project address, parcel, elevation, exposure, authority, and submission date must replace that city-centre reference before design use.
How should daylight and building orientation be established?
- Fix the surveyed site and local time basis.
- Select an authoritative weather source or a named solar-position algorithm.
- Record period, percentile or scenario and units.
- Test sensitivity to elevation, exposure, urban form and horizon.
- Save the source file, retrieval date and checker in the model record.
| Input | Project-specific evidence | QA question |
|---|---|---|
| Site | surveyed coordinates, elevation and horizon | Does the point represent the building? |
| Weather/solar method | named dataset, algorithm, period and time basis | Are station, time zone and units explicit? |
| Design scenario | current and future scenario agreed by the team | Is an average being mistaken for an extreme? |
| Compliance | adopted local document and edition | Was applicability confirmed with the authority? |
What are the limits of this worksheet?
This daylight-workflow page is a project-starting worksheet, not a design value or approval. The controlling authority and qualified professionals for the Melbourne City Centre site remain authoritative.
Melbourne City Centre monthly solar geometry check for daylight & orientation
| Representative date | Declination | Solar-noon altitude | Geometric daylight | Noon shadow / height |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 21 January | -20.14° | 72.32° | 14.205 h | 0.319 |
| 21 February | -11.23° | 63.41° | 13.181 h | 0.501 |
| 21 March | -0.40° | 52.59° | 12.042 h | 0.765 |
| 21 April | +11.58° | 40.61° | 10.780 h | 1.166 |
| 21 May | +20.14° | 32.05° | 9.795 h | 1.597 |
| 21 June | +23.45° | 28.74° | 9.377 h | 1.824 |
| 21 July | +20.44° | 31.74° | 9.758 h | 1.616 |
| 21 August | +11.75° | 40.43° | 10.761 h | 1.174 |
| 21 September | -0.20° | 52.39° | 12.021 h | 0.770 |
| 21 October | -11.75° | 63.94° | 13.239 h | 0.489 |
| 21 November | -20.44° | 72.63° | 14.242 h | 0.313 |
| 21 December | -23.45° | 75.63° | 14.623 h | 0.256 |
Melbourne City Centre solar-geometry fingerprint at -37.8150, 144.9666
- Melbourne City Centre, 21 January: declination -20.14°, noon altitude 72.32°, zenith 17.68°, geometric daylight 14.205 hours, and vertical-object noon shadow ratio 0.319.
- Melbourne City Centre, 21 February: declination -11.23°, noon altitude 63.41°, zenith 26.59°, geometric daylight 13.181 hours, and vertical-object noon shadow ratio 0.501.
- Melbourne City Centre, 21 March: declination -0.40°, noon altitude 52.59°, zenith 37.41°, geometric daylight 12.042 hours, and vertical-object noon shadow ratio 0.765.
- Melbourne City Centre, 21 April: declination +11.58°, noon altitude 40.61°, zenith 49.39°, geometric daylight 10.780 hours, and vertical-object noon shadow ratio 1.166.
- Melbourne City Centre, 21 May: declination +20.14°, noon altitude 32.05°, zenith 57.95°, geometric daylight 9.795 hours, and vertical-object noon shadow ratio 1.597.
- Melbourne City Centre, 21 June: declination +23.45°, noon altitude 28.74°, zenith 61.26°, geometric daylight 9.377 hours, and vertical-object noon shadow ratio 1.824.
- Melbourne City Centre, 21 July: declination +20.44°, noon altitude 31.74°, zenith 58.26°, geometric daylight 9.758 hours, and vertical-object noon shadow ratio 1.616.
- Melbourne City Centre, 21 August: declination +11.75°, noon altitude 40.43°, zenith 49.57°, geometric daylight 10.761 hours, and vertical-object noon shadow ratio 1.174.
- Melbourne City Centre, 21 September: declination -0.20°, noon altitude 52.39°, zenith 37.61°, geometric daylight 12.021 hours, and vertical-object noon shadow ratio 0.770.
- Melbourne City Centre, 21 October: declination -11.75°, noon altitude 63.94°, zenith 26.06°, geometric daylight 13.239 hours, and vertical-object noon shadow ratio 0.489.
- Melbourne City Centre, 21 November: declination -20.44°, noon altitude 72.63°, zenith 17.37°, geometric daylight 14.242 hours, and vertical-object noon shadow ratio 0.313.
- Melbourne City Centre, 21 December: declination -23.45°, noon altitude 75.63°, zenith 14.37°, geometric daylight 14.623 hours, and vertical-object noon shadow ratio 0.256.
Harth computed the Melbourne City Centre fingerprint for latitude -37.8150° with the Cooper declination approximation, 90° - |latitude - declination| at solar noon, centre-to-centre sunrise hour angle and 1 / tan(altitude) shadow ratio. Longitude 144.9666° is retained for a later civil-time conversion; this screen does not perform that conversion. See NOAA's solar calculation details. Atmospheric refraction, terrain, facade azimuth and obstructions remain outside this first-pass comparison.
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Sources and method
Location data from the GeoNames AU dump (CC BY 4.0, snapshot 2026-08-31, GeoNames ID 11523810). Regulatory starting point: Australian Building Codes Board and the applicable state or territory authority. Figures are illustrative — verify against the current locally adopted edition for the site. Solar-method context: NOAA Solar Calculation Details; the Harth monthly table uses a simpler declination and geometric-daylight approximation whose stated limitations must be retained. Project-date refinement reference: NREL Solar Position Algorithm.
Source links
Frequently asked questions
What does the daylight and building orientation record for Melbourne City Centre establish?
The daylight and building orientation record for Melbourne City Centre establishes a reproducible discovery point at -37.8150, 144.9666 (GeoNames ID 11523810, administrative area 07) and a Australia source path. It does not establish a final project value, approval or parcel decision.
What must be replaced before using this daylight and building orientation workflow for a project in Melbourne City Centre?
For the daylight and building orientation record in Melbourne City Centre, replace the -37.8150, 144.9666 city reference with the surveyed site or parcel, identify the competent local authority, and verify the current documents under National Construction Code plus state and territory variations. Record the edition, retrieval date, units, assumptions and named checker before relying on the result.
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