Choosing the best angle and direction for your solar panels will optimize the amount of sunlight they receive and allow you to get the most out of your solar power system.
Best orientation of solar panels.
A solar panel will harness the most power when the sun s rays hit its surface perpendicularly.
The research is the first of its kind to evaluate the energy production of solar panels oriented in different directions.
The more sunlight reaches your solar panels the more electricity you can generate and the more money you ll be able to save on your electric bill.
This being the case the general best practice to date has always been to position solar panels facing south in order to capture the maximum amount of sunlight overall.
This page is designed to help you find the best placement for your solar panels in your situation.
Generally it s common knowledge in the solar industry that these south facing panels should be tilted between a 30 and 40 degree angle.
Pecan street analyzed 50 homes in the austin texas area.
Orientation of the panels.
More optimum orientation of solar panels to get the most from solar panels you need to point them in the direction that captures the most sun.
We then place panels on your roof in the best available places and measure the specific output of these panels based on their positions.
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.
For example in brisbane if your panels are facing west 270 and are angled 20 from horizontal you will get 89 of the energy compared to the optimum orentation of north and 30.
Or elsewhere in the northern hemisphere the best direction for solar panels to face is true south though there is an exception.
Some who install them on their roofs are somewhat limited but if you have the luxury of choosing exactly how you want your system setup there are a few tricks you can use.
Some had only south facing panels others had west facing panels and some had both.
If you re in the u s.
But there are a number of variables in figuring out the best direction.
This table shows you how much energy you can expect to get from almost any combination of solar panel direction and angle in the capital cities compared to the optimum orientation.
In general there s one big rule.
This gives us an accurate output from which we calculate the cost and savings you will get based on your local solar prices and the amount you pay your utility company for electricity.
If you ignore the possibility of a solar tracker in the past it was considered a solar panel orientation on an aspect angled toward the equator was the best location for a solar energy system.
Ensuring that solar panels face the correct direction and have an appropriate tilt will help ensure that they produce maximum energy as they are exposed to the highest.
For the best results solar panels should be oriented towards the south.