Best Position To Install Solar Panels

Each situation is unique in terms of roof angle property layout and power consumption.

Best position to install solar panels.

Usually this is the best direction because solar panels will receive direct light throughout the day. 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. The angle of your solar array is an important factor in maximizing your energy production. 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.

However the economics of installing solar panels on a roof that does not face the south still usually stack up for the homeowner. 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. If your roof does not face the right direction then surface mounted panels or pole mounted panels may be your best bet. However there is a difference between magnetic south and true south that must be considered.

It is at this location that your panels will receive the maximum sunlight throughout the day. 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. Solar panel angle by zip code. 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.

In the northern hemisphere the general rule for solar panel placement is solar panels should face true south and in the southern true north. We must therefore know on which side there is higher solar radiation for the whole day in order to have the maximum possible power production. 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. This is because it s based on the average position of the sun over your property.

The most optimum direction to face your solar panels is somewhere between south and west. In texas s ercot territory 84 percent of electricity in west facing systems was used in the home. The traditional advice is to position solar panels to be south facing. Depending on where you live the best angle at which you should install solar panels will change.

Most roofs have an inclination of 30 to 40 degrees. Most solar arrays are installed at a tilt. On the contrary in the countries of the southern hemisphere such as south africa and australia the best orientation is true north. 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.