Solar Panels True Or Magnetic North

To correct the compass reading your solar installer will calculate the magnetic declination of your site.

Solar panels true or magnetic north.

The rule is that if you live in the southern hemisphere you should point your panels true north and if you live in the northern hemisphere you should point them true south. Gently pull out the brass tab located to the outside of the compass about to release the magnetic declination dial the center triangle and black disk. Which north are we talking about true north or magnetic north when we say our solar panels should face north or north west as the case may be. 14 33 e and you need to find the true solar south direction for placing your panels and at this point your compass reading is about 180 degree your true solar south would be 194 degrees place your solar in that direction.

Now a compass tells you magnetic north and south but it does not show you true north and south. The solar pathfinder has an adjustment feature to compensate for magnetic declination. Solar south or geographic south. Solar panels that face north west will produce around 5 less electricity overall than north facing panels.

The direction solar panels should face is true south a k a. There is a difference. Their electricity production through the day will be between that of north and facing panels and that of west facing panels. The true north pole based on the axis upon which the earth spins is not at the same location as the magnetic north pole.

True south or true north are where the sun will be at its highest during the day. For any solar project you typically want your solar collectors solar panels vacuum tubes to be facing true south if you re in the northern hemisphere or true north if you re in the southern hemisphere. Magnetic declination in southwest florida is only 5 degrees west. Unfortunately simply using having a compass needle aligned north south isn t good enough.

If you current magnetic declination is for e g. I have to site my new house so i want to get it right. True south can also be calculated at noon when shadows from vertical objects run north south. Which ultimately is the point if you are designing for passive solar orientation or siting your solar systems.

The magnetic declination in australia is insignificant whether you face true north or magnetic north.