Software
Sun path diagrams can tell you a lot about how the sun will impact your site and building throughout the year. Stereographic sun path diagrams can be used to read the solar azimuth and altitude for a given location.
Solar radiation analysis is useful for passive heating, daylighting, and PV energy generation. It’s important to know what these radiation values represent before you can effectively use them.
The sun is the primary source of heat and light. When designing for it, you need to account for how it moves through the day and through the year, and when it is obscured by clouds.