Document useful module-level constants

docs/sphinx/source/conf.py

@@ -74,7 +74,7 @@
 # Enable hover tooltips
 hoverxref_auto_ref = True
 hoverxref_roles = [
-    "class", "meth", "func", "ref", "term", "obj", "mod", "data"
+    "class", "meth", "func", "ref", "term", "obj", "mod", "data", "const"
 ]
 hoverxref_role_types = dict.fromkeys(hoverxref_roles, "tooltip")
 hoverxref_domains = ["py"]

docs/sphinx/source/reference/airmass_atmospheric.rst

@@ -3,6 +3,19 @@
 Airmass and atmospheric models
 ==============================
 
+.. currentmodule:: pvlib.atmosphere
+
+.. autodata:: APPARENT_ZENITH_MODELS
+   :annotation:
+
+.. autodata:: TRUE_ZENITH_MODELS
+   :annotation:
+
+.. autodata:: AIRMASS_MODELS
+   :annotation:
+
+.. currentmodule:: pvlib
+
 .. autosummary::
    :toctree: generated/
 
@@ -19,3 +32,8 @@ Airmass and atmospheric models
    atmosphere.angstrom_aod_at_lambda
    atmosphere.angstrom_alpha
    atmosphere.windspeed_powerlaw
+
+.. currentmodule:: pvlib.atmosphere
+
+.. autodata:: HELLMANN_SURFACE_EXPONENTS
+   :annotation:

docs/sphinx/source/reference/irradiance/other.rst

@@ -3,6 +3,19 @@
 Other
 -----
 
+.. currentmodule:: pvlib.albedo
+
+.. autodata:: SURFACE_ALBEDOS
+   :annotation:
+
+.. autodata:: WATER_COLOR_COEFFS
+   :annotation:
+
+.. autodata:: WATER_ROUGHNESS_COEFFS
+   :annotation:
+
+.. currentmodule:: pvlib
+
 .. autosummary::
    :toctree: ../generated/
 

docs/sphinx/source/reference/pv_modeling/temperature.rst

@@ -23,6 +23,8 @@ PV temperature models
 
 Temperature Model Parameters
 ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
+
 .. currentmodule:: pvlib.temperature
+
 .. autodata:: TEMPERATURE_MODEL_PARAMETERS
    :annotation:

docs/sphinx/source/whatsnew/v0.16.2.rst

@@ -26,6 +26,9 @@ Documentation
   rotation minimizes the angle of incidence (AOI) to maximize the use of
   direct normal irradiance (DNI). (:issue:`2314`, :pull:`2869`)
 
+* Document useful module-level constants on the existing reference pages near
+  the related functions. (:pull:`2884`)
+
 
 Testing
 ~~~~~~~
@@ -46,4 +49,5 @@ Maintenance
 Contributors
 ~~~~~~~~~~~~
 
+* Anshu Raj Bisoyi (:ghuser:`anshurajbisoyi98-ctrl`)
 * Chen Yi (:ghuser:`chenyi6758-source`)

pvlib/albedo.py

@@ -25,6 +25,13 @@
     'dirty steel': 0.08,
     'sea': 0.06,
 }
+"""Typical albedo values indexed by ground surface type.
+
+Values are used by :py:func:`pvlib.irradiance.get_ground_diffuse` and can
+also be passed to :py:class:`pvlib.pvsystem.PVSystem` using ``surface_type``.
+The cited sources for the values are listed in the ``get_ground_diffuse``
+documentation.
+"""
 
 WATER_COLOR_COEFFS = {
     'clear_water_no_waves': 0.13,
@@ -34,6 +41,12 @@
     'green_water_ripples_up_to_2.5cm': 0.22,
     'muddy_water_no_waves': 0.19
 }
+"""Water color coefficients for :py:func:`inland_water_dvoracek`.
+
+The keys are surface-condition names accepted by that function. Values are
+empirically determined coefficients from the reference listed in its
+documentation.
+"""
 
 WATER_ROUGHNESS_COEFFS = {
     'clear_water_no_waves': 0.29,
@@ -43,6 +56,12 @@
     'green_water_ripples_up_to_2.5cm': 0.7,
     'muddy_water_no_waves': 0.29
 }
+"""Water wave-roughness coefficients for :py:func:`inland_water_dvoracek`.
+
+The keys are surface-condition names accepted by that function. Values are
+empirically determined coefficients from the reference listed in its
+documentation.
+"""
 
 
 def inland_water_dvoracek(solar_elevation, surface_condition=None,

pvlib/atmosphere.py

@@ -9,8 +9,11 @@
 
 APPARENT_ZENITH_MODELS = ('simple', 'kasten1966', 'kastenyoung1989',
                           'gueymard1993', 'gueymard2003', 'pickering2002')
+"""Relative-airmass model names that use apparent solar zenith angles."""
 TRUE_ZENITH_MODELS = ('youngirvine1967', 'young1994')
+"""Relative-airmass model names that use true solar zenith angles."""
 AIRMASS_MODELS = APPARENT_ZENITH_MODELS + TRUE_ZENITH_MODELS
+"""All model names accepted by :py:func:`get_relative_airmass`."""
 
 
 def pres2alt(pressure):
@@ -639,6 +642,12 @@ def angstrom_alpha(aod1, lambda1, aod2, lambda2):
     'neutral_air_above_human_inhabited_areas': 0.34,
     'stable_air_above_human_inhabited_areas': 0.60,
 }
+"""Hellmann power-law exponents indexed by atmospheric and surface condition.
+
+These values are used by :py:func:`windspeed_powerlaw` when ``surface_type``
+is provided instead of an explicit exponent. The references and a summary
+table are in that function's documentation.
+"""
 
 
 def windspeed_powerlaw(wind_speed_reference, height_reference,