Solar sensor for measuring low angle solar heating of vehicle occupants

A solar sensor for a vehicle having an instrument panel and windshield with a dashboard including a portion extending from a top portion of the instrument panel to a lower portion of the windshield, the solar sensor comprising:

• a photo diode lying in a plane;
• and
• a housing having a base surface and a photo diode supporting surface, said base surface being secured to the portion of the dashboard extending between the instrument panel and the windshield, the housing being configured to hold the sensing surface the photo diode in a plane that is parallel to the midpoint of the normal range of angular adjustment of a front vehicle seat back.

A vehicle having a windshield, an instrument panel and a dashboard extending between the instrument panel and the windshield, a heating and air conditioning system having a solar sensor for compensating for solar heating of the occupants of the vehicle the solar sensor being secured to the dashboard comprising:

• a housing secured to the dashboard;
• a photo diode secured to the housing, said photo diode having a receptor face oriented to be substantially perpendicular to the median of the sun rays entering the passenger compartment through the windshield of the vehicle that impinge directly upon an upper portion of a front seat of the vehicle.