Description
In pvlib, two solar zenith quantities are of interest: true (geometric) zenith angle, and apparent (refraction corrected) zenith angle. Currently, zenith
, solar_zenith
and apparent_zenith
all appear in different places, and the meaning of each isn't consistent throughout. For example, solarposition/spa_c uses zenith
(true) and apparent_zenith
(refraction-corrected), and Location
methods expect these terms. But both apparent_zenith
and solar_zenith
are used in SingleAxisTracker methods (the latter without being specific in the docstring), and in places where I think refraction-corrected zenith should be expected, e.g., PVSystem.get_aoi.
For solar azimuth, there is not counterpart to true vs. refraction-corrected. But for the solar azimuth, both azimuth
and solar_azimuth
are being used.
Describe the solution you'd like
-
Agreement on the pvlib meaning of
zenith
andsolar_zenith
.apparent_zenith
's meaning is clear. The other two terms leave room for uncertainty. -
Agreement on one term to use for solar azimuth:
azimuth
orsolar_azimuth
.
Describe alternatives you've considered
It makes sense to have a term that is not specific to true or apparent zenith. Perhaps zenith
for this use, and solar_zenith
specifically for true zenith?