Best Position To Install Solar Panels

This is because it s based on the average position of the sun over your property.

Best position to install solar panels.

The traditional advice is to position solar panels to be south facing. In the northern hemisphere the general rule for solar panel placement is solar panels should face true south and in the southern true north. Depending on the conditions and setting of the property as well as the amount of energy required any of these positions may provide for maximum sunlight. Since solar panels are more productive when the sun s rays are perpendicular to their surfaces the certainly best orientation is the one directly true south azimuth angle 180.

However there is a difference between magnetic south and true south that must be considered. Depending on where you live the best angle at which you should install solar panels will change. In texas s ercot territory 84 percent of electricity in west facing systems was used in the home. Most roofs have an inclination of 30 to 40 degrees.

However the economics of installing solar panels on a roof that does not face the south still usually stack up for the homeowner. It seems that west facing solar panels would help you to do that to a much greater degree than generally recommend south facing solar panels. You will most likely be installing the solar panels on your roof which is why you have to take into account the roof pitch too. Usually solar panels are mounted on rooftops but they can also be placed on the ground over parking lots and exterior corridors or even close to walls.

Solar panel angle by zip code. During times of peak demand which is defined as 3 p m. It is at this location that your panels will receive the maximum sunlight throughout the day. On the contrary in the countries of the southern hemisphere such as south africa and australia the best orientation is true north.

Each situation is unique in terms of roof angle property layout and power consumption. The most optimum direction to face your solar panels is somewhere between south and west. The angle of your solar array is an important factor in maximizing your energy production. Usually this is the best direction because solar panels will receive direct light throughout the day.

Most solar arrays are installed at a tilt. 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. At this level the solar panel can lie flat on the roof and get enough sunlight to produce enough electricity. Solar panels installed on a roof facing southwest or southeast will generally produce about 8 less power than the same panels in the same climate on a south facing roof.