Numerical Modeling and Analysis of Shadow Flicker Using Solar Path Functions for Enhanced Predictive Accuracy

Nicolai Radke (), Patrick E. M. De Smet and Erika Ábrahám
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Nicolai Radke: Theory of Hybrid Systems Research Group, RWTH Aachen University, 52062 Aachen, Germany
Patrick E. M. De Smet: Faculty of Compupter Science, University of Vienna, 1010 Vienna, Austria
Erika Ábrahám: Theory of Hybrid Systems Research Group, RWTH Aachen University, 52062 Aachen, Germany

Energies, 2025, vol. 18, issue 2, 1-17

Abstract: Shadow flicker caused by wind turbine blades passing through sunlight can significantly affect nearby residential buildings, raising environmental and regulatory concerns in wind farm development. The accurate assessment of shadow flicker exposure is critical for compliance and minimizing community impacts. We present a novel method for accurately determining the exposure of shadow flicker from wind turbines on residential buildings, addressing a key regulatory concern in wind farm planning. Current simulation techniques rely on discrete sampling of solar positions, resulting in potential inaccuracies tied to sampling resolution. Our proposed approach models shadow flicker as a continuous function and applies numerical minimization and numerical root finding to compute the duration of exposure. Our evaluation proves that this method achieves a superior balance between precision and computational efficiency, significantly improving existing techniques.

Keywords: renewable energy; wind farm planning; shadow flicker; exposure modeling; solar position modeling; numerical analysis (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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