How Should I Orient My Solar Panels

In the northern hemisphere the general rule for solar panel placement is solar panels should face true.

How should i orient my solar panels. Therefore directions like southwest or southeast are fine. The angle that a solar panel should be set. Recently the new york times and popular science even purported that solar panels should face west rather than south to avoid unintended consequences. Keeping them clean also ensures they will last as long as possible in some cases 20 to 25 years.

Since we re an american company the following example assumes you ll point your system to the south. Solar panel orientation direction. Generally it s common knowledge in the solar industry that these south facing panels should be tilted between a 30 and 40 degree angle. The angle or tilt of a solar panel is also an important consideration.

For instance if your latitude. This is the direction your solar panels should face. If you live in the northern hemisphere face them south. 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.

On the other hand if you live in the southern hemisphere you can use this same technique. 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. 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.

Solar panels should face south for any home in america to obtain maximum power generation. However you would want to face your solar panels in the opposite direction of where your shadows face. If you live in the southern hemisphere face them north. 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.

However solar panels can be orientated on any roof that faces south of either east or west. Fixed tilt solar. This angle varies and is just about equal to the latitude of your home how far north you are in relation to the equator. 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.

You could even stick a stick in the ground and take note. For best results your solar panels should face toward the equator. For the best results solar panels should be oriented towards the south.