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ABSTRACT
A deterministic system of models relates man and other vertical objects to horizontal shortwave radiation under cloudless conditions, and permits comparison of actual conditions with an ideal standard. This is the first in a system of increasingly more complex models which will eventually solve the entire energy balance equation in bioclimatology. The parameters examined are concerned with direct solar radiation, diffuse sky radiation, diffuse radiation reflected from the ground, and the total solar heat load on man. Each latitude and each season has its own characteristic pattern of these components, which often differ drastically from data applicable to horizontal surfaces. Depending on the season, direct solar radiation on vertical objects poleward of latitude 30° can exceed several times the amounts incident on an equivalent horizontal surface. Direct solar radiation on vertical objects equatorward of latitude 30° is less than that incident on the horizontal interface.