It is a very basic ray tracing algorithm, and ubiquitous in 3D animation / rendering engines like Blender, and various Game Engines like Unreal and Unity. https://www.ea.com/frostbite/engine and https://media.contentapi.ea.com/content/dam/eacom/frostbite/files/s2016-pbs-frostbite-sky-clouds-new.pdf

Depending on how rigorous and how much time you have for a learning curve, there are scientific programs like ParaView, and engineering simulation tools like Ansys WorkBench. I'm sure there are specialized solar survey site assessment tools used in that industry.

The hurdle for you will be formalizing exactly what you mean by 'glare' and 'effects' ( the Frost bite paper above should give you some idea ) as you integrate those over some time interval over an entire season or year, and especially if sun trackers are involved. If 'effects' means people inside nearby buildings, the glazing properties are significant and some coating are even oriented.

GIS can be used to analyze solar panel glare effects by creating a 3D model of the proposed solar array and the surrounding terrain. This model can be used to create a solar radiation analysis to determine the glare exposure of the proposed array. Other analyses, such as shadow analysis, can be used to identify the potential for glare effects in areas both near and far from the solar array. Additionally, GIS can be used to create visualizations of the proposed solar array and its potential glare effects. These visualizations can be used to communicate the impacts of glare to stakeholders.

Recommend: https://www.springerprofessional.de/en/citygml-based-3d-modeling-of-urban-area-using-uav-dataset-for-es/17734904

Harikesh Singh Most 3D GIS can do the simple incident portion of the path, light source to first surface and shadowing, but which can then create, say, a hundred panels as individual sources to produce the reflective paths to subsequent surfaces, and recursively as the light bounces from building to building? Not to mention the reflection properties of the surfaces. There are specialized tools for glare analysis ( https://climatestudiodocs.com/docs/annualGlare.html )based on software like ClimateStudio, a plugin for the Rhinoceros (Rhino) 3d modeling software. https://vimeo.com/392380942

Of course, it depends on the rigor needed for the answer - is it for a class project or a 100 million dollar building that has be certified to various codes, or if you are building the solar array, prove to building officials and neighboring property owners there is no adverse impacts: "... Solar projects near airports are subject to Federal Aviation Administration regulations, one component of which is a glare analysis. While there is no hard-and-fast rule, at present, stating what project sizes or locations are subject to review, projects within five miles of an airport should expect to have to submit. That rule of thumb can extend farther depending on the project’s size.

To assess glare, the FAA requires use of a Solar Glare Hazard Analysis Tool it developed in conjunction Sandia National Laboratories. Olson recommends a product by ForgeSolar that makes uses of the tool and enables glare specialists to conduct an analysis within a day."

Standard GIS operations and tools can assist with the model building and some crude analysis, but are not to level required under regulations.

Michael John Patrick Sir, There is no particular 3D GIS software that can do this. However, some software packages such as Autodesk 3ds Max and Unreal Engine by Epic Games have capabilities to render lighting and reflections accurately. You can also try Computer Generated Architectural (CGA) Rule method for 3D GIS.

For projects within the scope of FAA review, a glare analysis is typically required. A glare analysis involves a visual simulation of the array’s impact on the visibility of nearby aircraft pilots. The analysis includes a 3D model of the array and its location, as well as a representation of the surrounding terrain. The analysis should also account for the angle of the sun, which changes throughout the day and year, and other factors such as the reflectivity of the array’s materials.

Some states and local governments are also beginning to require a glare analysis to be conducted as part of the permitting process. While the exact requirements may vary, they generally involve a 3D model of the array and its location, a measure of the maximum uplight generated by the array, and an analysis of the maximum brightness of the array at certain angles, both on an annual basis and at specific times of day.

A glare analysis is often conducted with a computer simulation program, such as RhinoGlare or Radiance, to create a visual representation of the array’s effects on the surrounding environment. However, it is important to note that the results of the analysis are only as good as the input data. Therefore, it is important to ensure that the model is as accurate as possible, including all relevant features such as topography and nearby buildings.

The results of the analysis are typically presented in the form of a report and visual representation of the array’s impact on the surrounding environment. This report can then be used to inform the decision-making process when it comes to the proposed solar project.

Once the glare analysis is complete and the report is generated, the developer should consider incorporating any recommendations into the design of the project, if possible. Doing so can help to ensure that the project meets all applicable regulations and standards, and can also help to minimize any potential impacts on the surrounding environment.

Harikesh Singh Correct. Which are all basically the points I covered in my original answers to the question?

i have studied how to do this. make sure you take into account Sun angle and cloud cover. We do aerial photogrammetry work and don't go up until the sun is at 15degrees or more. We generate 3d models of rooftops on a massive scale and calculate the pitch of the roof. Of course, the sun angle is always changing.

My son worked for an architectural firm that was contracted to calculate what you are looking at for MSP and one of their problems was the heavily glassed windows around the airports and planes landing near sunset or sunrise.

The big thing is to make sure your DSM is clean and then your angle of incidence will be accurate. That means having good imagery to work from. We were working with 4cm Resolution shot from 4000 ft for some of my projects producing Digital Ortho maps. By the time I got done with them the images looked pretty clean, matched up with the property records.

Our source data gives information on roof facets and the angle of inclination of roof surfaces as part of he output