Optimal Direction For Solar Panels

Both of these angles require latitude degrees.

Optimal direction for solar panels.

However it has been proven that west facing solar panels can produce more power. Solar south or geographic south. For the best results solar panels should be oriented towards the south. Latitude x 0 9 29 degrees.

Solar panels should face south for any home in america to obtain maximum power generation. This is because for those of us living in the northern hemisphere the sun is always along the southern part of the sky as we complete our yearly orbit around it. Usually this is the best direction because solar panels will receive direct light throughout the day. The direction solar panels should face is true south a k a.

However the electricity system is not as simple as it sometimes seems and the best direction to face solar panels may actually be west. Pick the right location and solar panel direction. There are two methods for calculating the tilt angle for solar panels. Latitude x 0 9 23 5 degrees.

Therefore directions like southwest or southeast are fine. True south can also be calculated at noon when shadows from vertical objects run north south. This is because the sun is always in the southern half of the sky in the northern hemisphere. The conventional understanding is that the ideal solar panel direction is facing south.

However solar panels can be orientated on any roof that faces south of either east or west. Once you have figured this out you can use one of the formulas below to calculate the best angle for your solar panels for each season. The traditional advice is to position solar panels to be south facing. 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.

Latitude 2 5 degrees. The conventional wisdom in the northern hemisphere is that the best direction to face solar panels is south since that is generally where they d receive the most sunlight. To correct the compass reading your solar installer will calculate the magnetic declination of your site. In the northern hemisphere the general rule for solar panel placement is solar panels should face true south and in the southern true north.

Similarly you can calculate the angle for winter by adding 15.