Sunscape™ Calculation, Presets, and the Legend
Sunscape™ calculates sun exposure for a chosen time span and date range using proprietary methods for compiling to determining sun exposure over the chosen time and date periods.
Time Span
Sunscape™ applications adjust all time variables around solar time at longitude. Solar time generally differs from clock time, with the amount of variation depending on time of year and location.
Custom defaults to 8am to 6pm, the traditional summertime day span for gardening and outdoor activity. This default calculates for the 5 hours before and after solar noon.
Custom option default can be used or changed to any selection menu time value.
Presets
Presets are provided for convenience. Preset time values cannot be changed.
Time Span Presets
Sunscape provides four (4) time span presets.
Morning preset, 6am to 12pm, calculates for the 6 hours immediately preceding solar noon.
Afternoon preset 12pm to 6pm, calculates for the 6 hours immediately following solar noon.
High Noon preset, 11am to 1pm, calculates for 1 hour before and 1 hour after solar noon.
Full Day preset, 6am to 6pm, calculates for 6 hours before and 6 hours after solar noon.
Use Cases for Time Presets
Part day, time span parameters are used in conjunction with 8am to 6pm and full day maps to help position objects, plants, and areas for specific need and use cases.
Some plants have preference for morning or afternoon sunlight.
Outdoor kitchens and dining areas require comfortable sun exposure at time of use.
Pools and pool decks often require different sun exposure for different activity areas, and at different times of day.
Covered and/or partially enclosed balconies, terraces, gazebos, and pavilions can have highly divergent sun exposure at different times of day.
Children’s play areas may require shade during high intensity sunlight hours.
Food gardens require different sun exposure for different food plants.
Use to locate outdoor plant and leisure areas for time-based health, use and comfort.
Use to determine the need and optimum location for shade providing trees and objects.
Use the custom default of 8am to 6pm time span for mid temperate zone properties.
Use Morning and Afternoon presets for determining predominant time of sun exposure for part sun and part shade areas displayed in 8am-6pm or Full Day Sunscape maps.
Use High Noon preset to determine if “hot spots” exist in part sun or children’s recreation areas.
Full Day preset is useful for all temperate zones particularly high temperate zone properties.
Date Range Presets
Sunscape date range preset dates are determined by the model’s latitude. Plant productivity and outdoor human comfort is dependent, among other things, on sunlight and temperature, with both latter being latitude dependent.
Custom defaults to March 21, (3 and 21), an out of summer range equinox date for both northern and southern hemispheres. Custom date range values can be changed to any selection menu day and month value.
Sunscape provides three (3) date range presets.
Astronomical Summer is defined as a 3-month period beginning at Summer Solstice.
Metrological Summer is defined as a 3-month period beginning on the first day of the month of Summer Solstice ie: June 1 northern hemisphere, Dec 1, southern hemisphere.
Growing Season can vary in length from the 3-month summer period used by Astronomical and Meteorological Summer. Sunscape’s proprietary Growing Season date range preset is determined by temperatures at latitude.
More about Date Range Presets
If summer was defined only by the greatest amount of sunlight received, then a 3-month summer period would be the 45 days on either side of summer solstice when the sun is at highest altitude. However, it takes time for the planet to warm, seasonal lag, hence the need to provide for temperature as well as amount of sunlight received.
Both Astronomical Summer and Meteorological Summer modify for earth temperature.
Meteorological summer is based on annual temperature cycles used by weather forecasters and climatologists and more closely aligns with temperature. Astronomical Summer is included as a preset due to common use.
The three presets produce similar sun exposure results for mid-temperate zone properties where the growing season is typically 3 months in duration.
Growing season preset is useful for sub-tropical and tropical zone properties where summers are typically longer than 3 months and for higher latitude temperate zones where summers can be shorter than 3 months. Earth’s changing climate is having an impact on higher latitude growing season.
Preset dates can be noted and altered using custom input for properties located near large bodies of water and at high altitudes.
Temperature is also affected by ocean currents and prevailing winds. The above and other plant health and human comfort factors should be considered when choosing date range presets or a custom date range.
Custom input Date Range Use Cases
Use custom input spring and fall date ranges for specific bloom time sun exposure.
Use winter date ranges for snow accumulation and/or frost/ice consideration and remediation through design.
Sunscape Legend
Sunscape uses proprietary segmentation algorithms developed through the study of published expert opinion and our own knowledge and experience of sun energy and plant health, also applicable to human health and comfort. Sunscape segmentation algorithms modify for anomalies including reclassification of shade points receiving some near solar noon sunlight.