How Should I Orient My Solar Panels

While the angle of your solar panels is important a more important factor in your energy production is going to be the direction your panels face.

How should i orient my solar panels. Since we re an american company the following example assumes you ll point your system to the south. Generally it s common knowledge in the solar industry that these south facing panels should be tilted between a 30 and 40 degree angle. If you live in the southern hemisphere face them north. For the best results solar panels should be oriented towards the south.

Panels mounted on a standard pitch roof facing east or west will produce approximately 15 less output than panels mounted on a south facing roof of a standard pitch. Recently the new york times and popular science even purported that solar panels should face west rather than south to avoid unintended consequences. In the northern hemisphere the general rule for solar panel placement is solar panels should face true. However solar panels can be orientated on any roof that faces south of either east or west.

Find the best angle for optimizing solar collection during winter when solar energy is most scarce by multiplying your latitude by 0 89 and then adding 24 degrees. If you live in the northern hemisphere face them south. Fixed tilt solar. This is because the sun is always in the southern half of the sky in the northern hemisphere.

However each of the above only considers. Orientation of the panels. Keeping them clean also ensures they will last as long as possible in some cases 20 to 25 years. The optimum angle varies throughout the year depending on the seasons and your location and this calculator shows the difference in sun height on a month by month basis.

On the other hand if you live in the southern hemisphere you can use this same technique. To get the best out of your photovoltaic panels you need to angle them towards the sun. Therefore directions like southwest or southeast are fine. This angle varies and is just about equal to the latitude of your home how far north you are in relation to the equator.

However you would want to face your solar panels in the opposite direction of where your shadows face. Solar panels should face south for any home in america to obtain maximum power generation. Solar panel orientation direction. Solar panel cleaning is a great chance to check your panels over and make sure they are in good condition.

For instance if your latitude. You could even stick a stick in the ground and take note. For best results your solar panels should face toward the equator.