Solar Energy: An Optical Analysis for Regions Located in Intertropical Zones

Omar F. Rojas-Moreno (), Leonel Paredes-Madrid (), Carlos Ramón Batista-Rodríguez, Luis Fernando Castañeda-Melo and Felipe M. Galleguillos-Madrid
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Omar F. Rojas-Moreno: Doctorado en Ciencia Aplicada, Universidad Antonio Nariño, Bogotá 110131, Colombia
Leonel Paredes-Madrid: Faculty of Mechanical, Electronic and Biomedical Engineering, Universidad Antonio Nariño, Tunja 150001, Colombia
Carlos Ramón Batista-Rodríguez: Doctorado en Ciencia Aplicada, Universidad Antonio Nariño, Bogotá 110131, Colombia
Luis Fernando Castañeda-Melo: Doctorado en Ciencia Aplicada, Universidad Antonio Nariño, Bogotá 110131, Colombia
Felipe M. Galleguillos-Madrid: Centro de Desarrollo Energético Antofagasta, Universidad de Antofagasta, Antofagasta 1271155, Chile

Energies, 2025, vol. 18, issue 19, 1-15

Abstract: The sun represents a potential opportunity for sustainable energy production. The study of solar energy harvesting reinforces this promise, with studies simulating different operating environments by estimating the sun’s orientation toward the south or north, depending on the planet’s location. However, studies for latitudes between 23° South and 23° North are a little-explored area. This research investigates different energy harvesting scenarios in flat-plate collectors, combining different possibilities throughout the year, analyzing the amount of energy captured using algorithms and Monte Carlo simulation. The methodology allows predicting efficiencies above 36% simply by rotating the harvesting devices from north to south or vice versa just twice a year.

Keywords: Monte Carlo simulation; optimization; latitude ± 23 degrees; energy efficiency; energy systems (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q Q0 Q4 Q40 Q41 Q42 Q43 Q47 Q48 Q49 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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