Solar Panel Orientation Efficiency

The highest efficiency solar panels on the market today can reach almost 23 percent efficiency.

Solar panel orientation efficiency.

Ideally the panels should have an orientation that maximizes efficiency in the presence of direct sunlight. The direction solar panels should ideally face for optimum sun exposure varies depending on location. However solar panels can be orientated on any roof that faces south of either east or west. The placement and orientation of solar panels is just as important as which type of solar panel is used in a given situation.

In fact all southern hemisphere locations should ideally position panels in a northerly direction. Solar panels that receive sunlight head on produce more electricity that those getting sunshine at an angle. The average efficiency of solar panels falls between the 17 to 19 percent efficiency range. Even with this decrease in performance solar panels will produce enough electricity to save you hundreds of dollars a year.

This is because the sun is always in the southern half of the sky in the northern hemisphere. For australia solar power yields are higher when panels face north. In winter a panel fixed at the winter angle will be relatively efficient capturing 81 to 88 percent of the energy compared to optimum tracking. The effect of orientation on solar output.

Solar panels work best when they face directly into the sun. The orientation of solar panels affects efficiency and electricity production is increased when they are placed optimally. 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. For the best results solar panels should be oriented towards the south.

Solar panels should always face true south in the northern hemisphere north in the southern hemisphere tilted from the hoizontal at a degree equal to your latitude plus 15 degrees in winter or minus 15 degrees in summer. But that task is complicated by the fact that the sun moves across the sky throughout the day. The orientation of a solar panel is important in ensuring its power output is maximized. Why orientation matters with rooftop solar in general solar panels that are oriented directly east or directly west will produce about 20 percent less electricity than if they were facing south.

Solar panels should face south for any home in america to obtain maximum power generation. The horizontal orientation of your panels in relation to the equator in this case. Therefore directions like southwest or southeast are fine. If a solar panel has 20 percent efficiency that means it s capable of converting 20 percent of the sunshine hitting it into electricity.