Solar Panel Positioning

Solar panels should always face true south if you are in the northern hemisphere or true north if you are in the southern hemisphere.

Solar panel positioning.

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. Usually this is the best direction because solar panels will receive direct light throughout the day. The sun moves throughout the day and its position angle also changes with the seasons. Selecting yes in the daylight saving field will cause the solar position calculation to assume the current time has been adjusted forward one hour from standard time.

True north is not the same as magnetic north. The vertical tilt of the solar panel is termed as a tilt angle. The reason behind that is pretty simple. Solar panels should face south for any home in america to obtain maximum power generation.

If you are uncertain of the time zone for a location refer to our time zone table. Photovoltaics produce power when the angle at which the sun s rays hit the panel surface the angle of incidence is small or when light strikes the panel as close to perpendicular as possible. In order to collect energy more efficiently solar panels should be angled to face as close to the sun as possible. However there is a difference between magnetic south and true south that must be considered.

What s the best angle for solar panels. True south can also be calculated at noon when shadows from vertical objects run north south. Therefore directions like southwest or southeast are fine. The direction solar panels should face is true south a k a.

Solar south or geographic south. If you are using a compass to orient your panels you need to correct for the difference which varies from place to place. However solar panels can be orientated on any roof that faces south of either east or west. Solar panel direction during summer and winter recent study reveals some interesting facts the conventional understanding is that the solar panel facing south in locations north of the equator will receive the most sunlight.

That s because you ll get way more sunlight hitting the roof thereby converting into way more energy. Understanding sun positioning throughout the year is necessary to maximize solar gain from your panels to get the most energy for your buck. This is correct to a certain extent however recent studies have proven differently. They need maximum exposure to the sun.