# Solar Altitude & Azimuth: Richmond Hill, Canada

> How to research solar altitude & azimuth for a specific site in Richmond Hill — the controlling authority, source documents, and checks to run before you rely on a number.

- Canonical: https://harth.build/resources/solar-data/solar-altitude-azimuth-richmond-hill-ca/
- Last updated: 2026-09-02
- Data source: Location data from the [GeoNames CA dump](https://download.geonames.org/export/dump/CA.zip) (CC BY 4.0, snapshot 2026-08-31, GeoNames ID 6122091). Regulatory starting point: [Codes Canada and the applicable provincial or territorial authority](https://nrc.canada.ca/en/certifications-evaluations-standards/codes-canada/codes-canada-publications). 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/).

## Key facts

| Fact | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Location reference | 43.8711, -79.4373 (GeoNames ID 6122091; replace with surveyed project coordinates) |
| Administrative area | 08 (GeoNames snapshot code; confirm the competent local jurisdiction) |
| Regulatory starting point | National Building Code of Canada plus provincial, territorial, and municipal adoption (country-level context only; identify the competent local authority) |
| June-solstice solar-noon check | 69.6° (declination-only geometry; not an hourly obstruction model) |
| Equinox solar-noon check | 46.1° (declination-only geometry) |
| December-solstice solar-noon check | 22.7° (declination-only geometry; verify civil time and horizon) |
| Approximate daylight range | 8.7–15.3 hours (representative 21st-day geometry (December to June); excludes refraction and terrain) |

## Direct answer

For Richmond Hill at 43.8711, -79.4373, the declination-only solar-noon altitude is approximately 69.6° at the June solstice, 46.1° at an equinox and 22.7° 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 6122091 in administrative area 08, at 43.8711, -79.4373; replace it with the surveyed parcel point before relying on the result. As a transparent geometry check, declination-only solar-noon altitude is about 69.6° at the June solstice, 46.1° at an equinox and 22.7° at the December solstice. Representative 21st-day geometry ranges from about 8.7 hours in December to 15.3 hours in June; 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 solar altitude and azimuth record.

*Content and cited inputs reviewed by [Scott Barrington](https://nz.linkedin.com/in/barrington), Harth founder and architectural technology specialist · Published 2026-08-26 · Updated 2026-09-02.*

## What must be verified for Richmond Hill?

Richmond Hill is represented here at approximately **43.8711, -79.4373** 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 solar altitude and azimuth be established?

1. Fix the surveyed site and local time basis.
2. Select an authoritative weather source or a named solar-position algorithm.
3. Record period, percentile or scenario and units.
4. Test sensitivity to elevation, exposure, urban form and horizon.
5. 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 solar-angle-workflow page is a project-starting worksheet, not a design value or approval. The controlling authority and qualified professionals for the Richmond Hill site remain authoritative.

## Richmond Hill monthly solar geometry check for solar altitude & azimuth

| Representative date | Declination | Solar-noon altitude | Geometric daylight | Noon shadow / height |
| --- | ---: | ---: | ---: | ---: |
| 21 January | -20.14° | 25.99° | 9.248 h | 2.051 |
| 21 February | -11.23° | 34.90° | 10.533 h | 1.433 |
| 21 March | -0.40° | 45.73° | 11.948 h | 0.975 |
| 21 April | +11.58° | 57.71° | 13.515 h | 0.632 |
| 21 May | +20.14° | 66.27° | 14.752 h | 0.440 |
| 21 June | +23.45° | 69.58° | 15.286 h | 0.372 |
| 21 July | +20.44° | 66.57° | 14.800 h | 0.433 |
| 21 August | +11.75° | 57.88° | 13.539 h | 0.628 |
| 21 September | -0.20° | 45.93° | 11.974 h | 0.968 |
| 21 October | -11.75° | 34.37° | 10.461 h | 1.462 |
| 21 November | -20.44° | 25.69° | 9.200 h | 2.079 |
| 21 December | -23.45° | 22.68° | 8.714 h | 2.393 |

## Richmond Hill solar-geometry fingerprint at 43.8711, -79.4373

- **Richmond Hill, 21 January:** declination -20.14°, noon altitude 25.99°, zenith 64.01°, geometric daylight 9.248 hours, and vertical-object noon shadow ratio 2.051.
- **Richmond Hill, 21 February:** declination -11.23°, noon altitude 34.90°, zenith 55.10°, geometric daylight 10.533 hours, and vertical-object noon shadow ratio 1.433.
- **Richmond Hill, 21 March:** declination -0.40°, noon altitude 45.73°, zenith 44.27°, geometric daylight 11.948 hours, and vertical-object noon shadow ratio 0.975.
- **Richmond Hill, 21 April:** declination +11.58°, noon altitude 57.71°, zenith 32.29°, geometric daylight 13.515 hours, and vertical-object noon shadow ratio 0.632.
- **Richmond Hill, 21 May:** declination +20.14°, noon altitude 66.27°, zenith 23.73°, geometric daylight 14.752 hours, and vertical-object noon shadow ratio 0.440.
- **Richmond Hill, 21 June:** declination +23.45°, noon altitude 69.58°, zenith 20.42°, geometric daylight 15.286 hours, and vertical-object noon shadow ratio 0.372.
- **Richmond Hill, 21 July:** declination +20.44°, noon altitude 66.57°, zenith 23.43°, geometric daylight 14.800 hours, and vertical-object noon shadow ratio 0.433.
- **Richmond Hill, 21 August:** declination +11.75°, noon altitude 57.88°, zenith 32.12°, geometric daylight 13.539 hours, and vertical-object noon shadow ratio 0.628.
- **Richmond Hill, 21 September:** declination -0.20°, noon altitude 45.93°, zenith 44.07°, geometric daylight 11.974 hours, and vertical-object noon shadow ratio 0.968.
- **Richmond Hill, 21 October:** declination -11.75°, noon altitude 34.37°, zenith 55.63°, geometric daylight 10.461 hours, and vertical-object noon shadow ratio 1.462.
- **Richmond Hill, 21 November:** declination -20.44°, noon altitude 25.69°, zenith 64.31°, geometric daylight 9.200 hours, and vertical-object noon shadow ratio 2.079.
- **Richmond Hill, 21 December:** declination -23.45°, noon altitude 22.68°, zenith 67.32°, geometric daylight 8.714 hours, and vertical-object noon shadow ratio 2.393.

Harth computed the Richmond Hill fingerprint for latitude 43.8711° with the Cooper declination approximation, `90° - |latitude - declination|` at solar noon, centre-to-centre sunrise hour angle and `1 / tan(altitude)` shadow ratio. Longitude -79.4373° is retained for a later civil-time conversion; this screen does not perform that conversion. See [NOAA's solar calculation details](https://gml.noaa.gov/grad/solcalc/calcdetails.html). Atmospheric refraction, terrain, facade azimuth and obstructions remain outside this first-pass comparison.

## Where can you explore related guidance?

- [Explore all solar data guidance](https://harth.build/resources/solar-data.md)
- [Sun Path: Richmond Hill, Canada](https://harth.build/resources/solar-data/sun-path-richmond-hill-ca.md)
- [Solar Shading Design: Richmond Hill, Canada](https://harth.build/resources/solar-data/solar-shading-design-richmond-hill-ca.md)
- [Daylight & Orientation: Richmond Hill, Canada](https://harth.build/resources/solar-data/daylight-orientation-richmond-hill-ca.md)
- [Solar Altitude & Azimuth: Vaughan, Canada](https://harth.build/resources/solar-data/solar-altitude-azimuth-vaughan-ca.md)
- [All solar & daylight data guidance for Canada](https://harth.build/resources/solar-data/canada.md)
- [Climate Design Data: Richmond Hill, Canada](https://harth.build/resources/climate-data/climate-design-data-richmond-hill-ca.md)
- [House Construction Cost Planning: Richmond Hill, Canada](https://harth.build/resources/construction-costs/house-construction-cost-richmond-hill-ca.md)
- [Office Construction Cost Planning: Richmond Hill, Canada](https://harth.build/resources/construction-costs/office-construction-cost-richmond-hill-ca.md)
- [Retail Construction Cost Planning: Richmond Hill, Canada](https://harth.build/resources/construction-costs/retail-construction-cost-richmond-hill-ca.md)

## Sources and method

Location data from the [GeoNames CA dump](https://download.geonames.org/export/dump/CA.zip) (CC BY 4.0, snapshot 2026-08-31, GeoNames ID 6122091). Regulatory starting point: [Codes Canada and the applicable provincial or territorial authority](https://nrc.canada.ca/en/certifications-evaluations-standards/codes-canada/codes-canada-publications). 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/).

### Source links

- [download.geonames.org](https://download.geonames.org/export/dump/CA.zip)

- [nrc.canada.ca](https://nrc.canada.ca/en/certifications-evaluations-standards/codes-canada/codes-canada-publications)

- [gml.noaa.gov](https://gml.noaa.gov/grad/solcalc/calcdetails.html)

- [midcdmz.nrel.gov](https://midcdmz.nrel.gov/spa/)

## Frequently asked questions

### What does the solar altitude and azimuth record for Richmond Hill establish?

The solar altitude and azimuth record for Richmond Hill establishes a reproducible discovery point at 43.8711, -79.4373 (GeoNames ID 6122091, administrative area 08) and a Canada source path. It does not establish a final project value, approval or parcel decision.

### What must be replaced before using this solar altitude and azimuth workflow for a project in Richmond Hill?

For the solar altitude and azimuth record in Richmond Hill, replace the 43.8711, -79.4373 city reference with the surveyed site or parcel, identify the competent local authority, and verify the current documents under National Building Code of Canada plus provincial, territorial, and municipal adoption. Record the edition, retrieval date, units, assumptions and named checker before relying on the result.

---

- Continue in Harth (open this topic in the Harth agent): https://app.harth.build/agent?context=%2Fresources%2Fsolar-data%2Fsolar-altitude-azimuth-richmond-hill-ca%2F
- View this page in a browser: https://harth.build/resources/solar-data/solar-altitude-azimuth-richmond-hill-ca/
- All resources for agents: https://harth.build/llms.txt