Application of Spectrometry for Determining the Solar Radiation of Deciduous Trees’ Shade: A Passive Energy Conservation Approach for Mediterranean Climates

Deciduous trees are well known for controlling solar gains in buildings, contributing to energy savings in a sector that consumes 35% of global energy. However, there is still a lack of information about the real thermal impact that deciduous trees have. This work proposes a new method that is cheap and easy to implement to quantify the shading efficiency of different types of deciduous trees in hot seasons. The results can be applied in energy evaluations of buildings. The trees selected belong to the central valley of Chile, which is characterized by hot summers and cold winters. The trees selected can also be found in other parts of the world. A spectrometer is used for measuring the amount of solar radiation (irradiance) that is present in the shadow of trees, measuring wavelengths between 339 nm and 750 nm (mostly within the visible light range). The full referential irradiance spectrum of the site is obtained by calibrating the standard ASTM G-173-03. At the site, the spectrometer is used to obtain the visible light range, while the infrared radiation (IR) and ultraviolet (UV) radiation ranges are obtained from the literature. Our results indicate that the analyzed deciduous trees reduce an average of 82% of the solar radiation. This information will help project designers during the building energy efficiency design phase by representative modeling of the solar radiation gains allowed by deciduous trees.