Optimum Tilt Angles of Solar Collectors in Saudi Arabia

This paper presents the optimum solar collector tilt angles that will result in maximum solar radiation on the surface of collectors for each climatic zone in Saudi Arabia. The study has been done on the hourly diffuse and daily global solar radiation values on a horizontal surface. The percentage increase in the value of solar radiation gain for both seasonal and monthly optimum tilts are determined with respect to the annual fixed tilt for the different climatic zones of Saudi Arabia. A correlation that determines the optimum tilt angle as a function of latitude and month is developed for the different climatic zones of kingdom of Saudi Arabia.