Sun Direction For Solar Panels

Calculating the ideal angle for your solar panels is not that difficult.

Sun direction for solar panels.

There is a difference. The most optimum direction to face your solar panels is somewhere between south and west. Now a compass tells you magnetic north and south but it does not show you true north and south. For the best results solar panels should be oriented towards the south.

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. However solar panels can be orientated on any roof that faces south of either east or west. 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. 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.

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. If you re in the u s. In the northern hemisphere the general rule for solar panel placement is solar panels should face true. In general there s one big rule.

The relative position of the sun is a major factor in the heat gain of buildings and in the performance of solar energy systems. Therefore directions like southwest or southeast are fine. Or elsewhere in the northern hemisphere the best direction for solar panels to face is true south though there is an exception. The angle that a solar panel should be set.

For those who are not part of a tou model with their utility company the direction that you want to face your solar panels is south. It is at this location that your panels will receive the maximum sunlight throughout the day. Solar panel orientation direction. The angle or tilt of a solar panel is also an important consideration.

This is so that you can expose your solar panels to as much light as possible to optimize their energy production. This is because the sun is always in the southern half of the sky in the northern hemisphere. As a general rule of thumb keep in mind that the panels need to be more vertical during winter to face the lower sun directly and more tilted towards the ground during summer to face the higher sun. The traditional advice is to position solar panels to be south facing.

It just depends on where you live. If your roof does not face the right direction then surface mounted panels or pole mounted panels may be your best bet.