Solar & Daylight Data

Updated 2026-08-31

Sun Path: Upper Hutt, New Zealand

How to research sun path for a specific site in Upper Hutt — 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 6244895). 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 Upper Hutt at -41.1383, 175.0502, the declination-only solar-noon altitude is approximately 25.4° at the June solstice, 48.9° at an equinox and 72.3° 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 6244895 in administrative area G2, at -41.1383, 175.0502; replace it with the surveyed parcel point before relying on the result. As a transparent geometry check, declination-only solar-noon altitude is about 25.4° at the June solstice, 48.9° at an equinox and 72.3° at the December solstice. Representative 21st-day geometry ranges from about 9.0 hours in June to 15.0 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 Upper Hutt?

Upper Hutt is represented here at approximately -41.1383, 175.0502 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 Upper Hutt 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.

Upper Hutt monthly solar geometry check for sun path

Representative dateDeclinationSolar-noon altitudeGeometric daylightNoon shadow / height
21 January-20.14°69.00°14.491 h0.384
21 February-11.23°60.09°13.331 h0.575
21 March-0.40°49.27°12.047 h0.861
21 April+11.58°37.28°10.625 h1.314
21 May+20.14°28.72°9.509 h1.825
21 June+23.45°25.41°9.031 h2.105
21 July+20.44°28.42°9.467 h1.848
21 August+11.75°37.11°10.604 h1.322
21 September-0.20°49.06°12.024 h0.867
21 October-11.75°60.62°13.396 h0.563
21 November-20.44°69.30°14.533 h0.378
21 December-23.45°72.31°14.969 h0.319

Upper Hutt solar-geometry fingerprint at -41.1383, 175.0502

  • Upper Hutt, 21 January: declination -20.14°, noon altitude 69.00°, zenith 21.00°, geometric daylight 14.491 hours, and vertical-object noon shadow ratio 0.384.
  • Upper Hutt, 21 February: declination -11.23°, noon altitude 60.09°, zenith 29.91°, geometric daylight 13.331 hours, and vertical-object noon shadow ratio 0.575.
  • Upper Hutt, 21 March: declination -0.40°, noon altitude 49.27°, zenith 40.73°, geometric daylight 12.047 hours, and vertical-object noon shadow ratio 0.861.
  • Upper Hutt, 21 April: declination +11.58°, noon altitude 37.28°, zenith 52.72°, geometric daylight 10.625 hours, and vertical-object noon shadow ratio 1.314.
  • Upper Hutt, 21 May: declination +20.14°, noon altitude 28.72°, zenith 61.28°, geometric daylight 9.509 hours, and vertical-object noon shadow ratio 1.825.
  • Upper Hutt, 21 June: declination +23.45°, noon altitude 25.41°, zenith 64.59°, geometric daylight 9.031 hours, and vertical-object noon shadow ratio 2.105.
  • Upper Hutt, 21 July: declination +20.44°, noon altitude 28.42°, zenith 61.58°, geometric daylight 9.467 hours, and vertical-object noon shadow ratio 1.848.
  • Upper Hutt, 21 August: declination +11.75°, noon altitude 37.11°, zenith 52.89°, geometric daylight 10.604 hours, and vertical-object noon shadow ratio 1.322.
  • Upper Hutt, 21 September: declination -0.20°, noon altitude 49.06°, zenith 40.94°, geometric daylight 12.024 hours, and vertical-object noon shadow ratio 0.867.
  • Upper Hutt, 21 October: declination -11.75°, noon altitude 60.62°, zenith 29.38°, geometric daylight 13.396 hours, and vertical-object noon shadow ratio 0.563.
  • Upper Hutt, 21 November: declination -20.44°, noon altitude 69.30°, zenith 20.70°, geometric daylight 14.533 hours, and vertical-object noon shadow ratio 0.378.
  • Upper Hutt, 21 December: declination -23.45°, noon altitude 72.31°, zenith 17.69°, geometric daylight 14.969 hours, and vertical-object noon shadow ratio 0.319.

Harth computed the Upper Hutt fingerprint for latitude -41.1383° with the Cooper declination approximation, 90° - |latitude - declination| at solar noon, centre-to-centre sunrise hour angle and 1 / tan(altitude) shadow ratio. Longitude 175.0502° 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 6244895). 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 Upper Hutt establish?

The sun path record for Upper Hutt establishes a reproducible discovery point at -41.1383, 175.0502 (GeoNames ID 6244895, administrative area G2) 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 Upper Hutt?

For the sun path record in Upper Hutt, replace the -41.1383, 175.0502 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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