Solar & Daylight Data

Updated 2026-08-31

Sun Path: Manukau City, New Zealand

How to research sun path for a specific site in Manukau City — the controlling authority, source documents, and checks to run before you rely on a number.

Last updated August 31, 2026 · Location data from the [GeoNames NZ dump](https://download.geonames.org/export/dump/NZ.zip) (CC BY 4.0, snapshot 2026-08-31, GeoNames ID 2187404). Regulatory starting point: [Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment and the local council](https://www.building.govt.nz/building-code-compliance). 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.

Direct answer

For Manukau City at -36.9928, 174.8799, the declination-only solar-noon altitude is approximately 29.6° at the June solstice, 53.0° at an equinox and 76.4° 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 2187404 in administrative area E7, at -36.9928, 174.8799; replace it with the surveyed parcel point before relying on the result. As a transparent geometry check, declination-only solar-noon altitude is about 29.6° at the June solstice, 53.0° at an equinox and 76.4° at the December solstice. Representative 21st-day geometry ranges from about 9.5 hours in June to 14.5 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 sun path record.

Prepared by Harth · Prepared from the cited location and country sources; local project inputs remain unreviewed · Published 2026-08-26 · Updated 2026-08-31.

What must be verified for Manukau City?

Manukau City is represented here at approximately -36.9928, 174.8799 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 sun path 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.
InputProject-specific evidenceQA question
Sitesurveyed coordinates, elevation and horizonDoes the point represent the building?
Weather/solar methodnamed dataset, algorithm, period and time basisAre station, time zone and units explicit?
Design scenariocurrent and future scenario agreed by the teamIs an average being mistaken for an extreme?
Complianceadopted local document and editionWas applicability confirmed with the authority?

What are the limits of this worksheet?

This sun-path-workflow page is a project-starting worksheet, not a design value or approval. The controlling authority and qualified professionals for the Manukau City site remain authoritative.

This primary route consolidates the location evidence needed for Sun Path, Solar Altitude & Azimuth, Solar Shading Design, Daylight & Orientation. A narrower route should be released only when it adds a materially different official source, calculation, process, threshold or worked example.

Manukau City monthly solar geometry check for sun path

Representative dateDeclinationSolar-noon altitudeGeometric daylightNoon shadow / height
21 January-20.14°73.15°14.138 h0.303
21 February-11.23°64.23°13.147 h0.483
21 March-0.40°53.41°12.041 h0.742
21 April+11.58°41.43°10.816 h1.133
21 May+20.14°32.87°9.862 h1.548
21 June+23.45°29.56°9.457 h1.763
21 July+20.44°32.57°9.826 h1.566
21 August+11.75°41.25°10.798 h1.140
21 September-0.20°53.21°12.020 h0.748
21 October-11.75°64.76°13.202 h0.471
21 November-20.44°73.45°14.174 h0.297
21 December-23.45°76.46°14.543 h0.241

Manukau City solar-geometry fingerprint at -36.9928, 174.8799

  • Manukau City, 21 January: declination -20.14°, noon altitude 73.15°, zenith 16.85°, geometric daylight 14.138 hours, and vertical-object noon shadow ratio 0.303.
  • Manukau City, 21 February: declination -11.23°, noon altitude 64.23°, zenith 25.77°, geometric daylight 13.147 hours, and vertical-object noon shadow ratio 0.483.
  • Manukau City, 21 March: declination -0.40°, noon altitude 53.41°, zenith 36.59°, geometric daylight 12.041 hours, and vertical-object noon shadow ratio 0.742.
  • Manukau City, 21 April: declination +11.58°, noon altitude 41.43°, zenith 48.57°, geometric daylight 10.816 hours, and vertical-object noon shadow ratio 1.133.
  • Manukau City, 21 May: declination +20.14°, noon altitude 32.87°, zenith 57.13°, geometric daylight 9.862 hours, and vertical-object noon shadow ratio 1.548.
  • Manukau City, 21 June: declination +23.45°, noon altitude 29.56°, zenith 60.44°, geometric daylight 9.457 hours, and vertical-object noon shadow ratio 1.763.
  • Manukau City, 21 July: declination +20.44°, noon altitude 32.57°, zenith 57.43°, geometric daylight 9.826 hours, and vertical-object noon shadow ratio 1.566.
  • Manukau City, 21 August: declination +11.75°, noon altitude 41.25°, zenith 48.75°, geometric daylight 10.798 hours, and vertical-object noon shadow ratio 1.140.
  • Manukau City, 21 September: declination -0.20°, noon altitude 53.21°, zenith 36.79°, geometric daylight 12.020 hours, and vertical-object noon shadow ratio 0.748.
  • Manukau City, 21 October: declination -11.75°, noon altitude 64.76°, zenith 25.24°, geometric daylight 13.202 hours, and vertical-object noon shadow ratio 0.471.
  • Manukau City, 21 November: declination -20.44°, noon altitude 73.45°, zenith 16.55°, geometric daylight 14.174 hours, and vertical-object noon shadow ratio 0.297.
  • Manukau City, 21 December: declination -23.45°, noon altitude 76.46°, zenith 13.54°, geometric daylight 14.543 hours, and vertical-object noon shadow ratio 0.241.

Harth computed the Manukau City fingerprint for latitude -36.9928° with the Cooper declination approximation, 90° - |latitude - declination| at solar noon, centre-to-centre sunrise hour angle and 1 / tan(altitude) shadow ratio. Longitude 174.8799° 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.

Sources and method

Location data from the GeoNames NZ dump (CC BY 4.0, snapshot 2026-08-31, GeoNames ID 2187404). Regulatory starting point: Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment and the local council. 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.

Frequently asked questions

What does the sun path record for Manukau City establish?

The sun path record for Manukau City establishes a reproducible discovery point at -36.9928, 174.8799 (GeoNames ID 2187404, administrative area E7) and a New Zealand source path. It does not establish a final project value, approval or parcel decision.

What must be replaced before using this sun path workflow for a project in Manukau City?

For the sun path record in Manukau City, replace the -36.9928, 174.8799 city reference with the surveyed site or parcel, identify the competent local authority, and verify the current documents under New Zealand Building Code, Acceptable Solutions, and Verification Methods. Record the edition, retrieval date, units, assumptions and named checker before relying on the result.

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