Solar Roof Orientation

But what if you don t have a suitable south facing roof.

Solar roof orientation.

As we have mentioned before in the southern hemisphere due north is usually the best orientation for panels. Well when it comes to solar panels west is second best. 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. Azimuth is a fancy word for the direction your panels face while tilt is a measurement of their angle up from horizontal.

The amount of energy each solar panel produces will be directly reduced by the amount of shade covering each panel so less shade is always better. 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. Therefore directions like southwest or southeast are fine. Other orientation options while the general consensus in the solar power industry is that either west or south is the best direction for solar panels to face these two options don t necessarily address the needs of every individual solar user.

In fact all southern hemisphere locations should ideally position panels in a northerly direction. Each situation is unique in terms of roof angle property layout and power consumption. In summary here are the roof factors that affect your home solar panel performance. In some cases your solar installer will install racks that allow the panels to be tilted slightly to maximize production.

The effect of orientation on solar output the direction solar panels should ideally face for optimum sun exposure varies depending on location. In the northern hemisphere the sun crosses the sky a little to the south which means putting solar panels on a south facing roof is the best way for homeowners to capture the most solar energy. Even with this decrease in performance solar panels will produce enough electricity to save you hundreds of dollars a year. Learn more get an estimate and connect with providers.

Determining the orientation and tilt angle of your solar power generation system is one of the most important considerations in designing your solar power system. Why orientation matters with rooftop solar. But not everyone has a perfectly oriented roof. South is best west works well too and a mix is ok too.

Project sunroof is a solar calculator from google that helps you map your roof s solar savings potential. Go west young one. For australia solar power yields are higher when panels face north. Orientation of the panels.

Solar panels should face south for any home in america to obtain maximum power generation. This is because the sun is always in the southern half of the sky in the northern hemisphere.