Solar & Daylight Data

Updated 2026-08-31

Sun Path: Springs, South Africa

How to research sun path for a specific site in Springs — 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 ZA dump](https://download.geonames.org/export/dump/ZA.zip) (CC BY 4.0, snapshot 2026-08-31, GeoNames ID 952865). Regulatory starting point: [South African Bureau of Standards and the local authority](https://www.sabs.co.za/). 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 Springs at -26.2500, 28.4000, the declination-only solar-noon altitude is approximately 40.3° at the June solstice, 63.8° at an equinox and 87.2° 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 952865 in administrative area 06, at -26.2500, 28.4000; replace it with the surveyed parcel point before relying on the result. As a transparent geometry check, declination-only solar-noon altitude is about 40.3° at the June solstice, 63.8° at an equinox and 87.2° at the December solstice. Representative 21st-day geometry ranges from about 10.4 hours in June to 13.6 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 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 Springs?

Springs is represented here at approximately -26.2500, 28.4000 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 Springs 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.

Springs monthly solar geometry check for sun path

Representative dateDeclinationSolar-noon altitudeGeometric daylightNoon shadow / height
21 January-20.14°83.89°13.389 h0.107
21 February-11.23°74.98°12.749 h0.268
21 March-0.40°64.15°12.027 h0.484
21 April+11.58°52.17°11.227 h0.776
21 May+20.14°43.61°10.611 h1.050
21 June+23.45°40.30°10.353 h1.179
21 July+20.44°43.31°10.588 h1.061
21 August+11.75°52.00°11.215 h0.781
21 September-0.20°63.95°12.013 h0.489
21 October-11.75°75.50°12.785 h0.259
21 November-20.44°84.19°13.412 h0.102
21 December-23.45°87.20°13.647 h0.049

Springs solar-geometry fingerprint at -26.2500, 28.4000

  • Springs, 21 January: declination -20.14°, noon altitude 83.89°, zenith 6.11°, geometric daylight 13.389 hours, and vertical-object noon shadow ratio 0.107.
  • Springs, 21 February: declination -11.23°, noon altitude 74.98°, zenith 15.02°, geometric daylight 12.749 hours, and vertical-object noon shadow ratio 0.268.
  • Springs, 21 March: declination -0.40°, noon altitude 64.15°, zenith 25.85°, geometric daylight 12.027 hours, and vertical-object noon shadow ratio 0.484.
  • Springs, 21 April: declination +11.58°, noon altitude 52.17°, zenith 37.83°, geometric daylight 11.227 hours, and vertical-object noon shadow ratio 0.776.
  • Springs, 21 May: declination +20.14°, noon altitude 43.61°, zenith 46.39°, geometric daylight 10.611 hours, and vertical-object noon shadow ratio 1.050.
  • Springs, 21 June: declination +23.45°, noon altitude 40.30°, zenith 49.70°, geometric daylight 10.353 hours, and vertical-object noon shadow ratio 1.179.
  • Springs, 21 July: declination +20.44°, noon altitude 43.31°, zenith 46.69°, geometric daylight 10.588 hours, and vertical-object noon shadow ratio 1.061.
  • Springs, 21 August: declination +11.75°, noon altitude 52.00°, zenith 38.00°, geometric daylight 11.215 hours, and vertical-object noon shadow ratio 0.781.
  • Springs, 21 September: declination -0.20°, noon altitude 63.95°, zenith 26.05°, geometric daylight 12.013 hours, and vertical-object noon shadow ratio 0.489.
  • Springs, 21 October: declination -11.75°, noon altitude 75.50°, zenith 14.50°, geometric daylight 12.785 hours, and vertical-object noon shadow ratio 0.259.
  • Springs, 21 November: declination -20.44°, noon altitude 84.19°, zenith 5.81°, geometric daylight 13.412 hours, and vertical-object noon shadow ratio 0.102.
  • Springs, 21 December: declination -23.45°, noon altitude 87.20°, zenith 2.80°, geometric daylight 13.647 hours, and vertical-object noon shadow ratio 0.049.

Harth computed the Springs fingerprint for latitude -26.2500° with the Cooper declination approximation, 90° - |latitude - declination| at solar noon, centre-to-centre sunrise hour angle and 1 / tan(altitude) shadow ratio. Longitude 28.4000° 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 ZA dump (CC BY 4.0, snapshot 2026-08-31, GeoNames ID 952865). Regulatory starting point: South African Bureau of Standards and the local 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.

Frequently asked questions

What does the sun path record for Springs establish?

The sun path record for Springs establishes a reproducible discovery point at -26.2500, 28.4000 (GeoNames ID 952865, administrative area 06) and a South Africa 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 Springs?

For the sun path record in Springs, replace the -26.2500, 28.4000 city reference with the surveyed site or parcel, identify the competent local authority, and verify the current documents under National Building Regulations and SANS 10400, as applied by the local authority. Record the edition, retrieval date, units, assumptions and named checker before relying on the result.

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