How To Face Solar Panels

Because high feed in tariffs were available they simply had to have an orientation facing north in order to maximise the amount of electricity they produced and so earn the most feed in tariff money possible.

How to face solar panels. Even if your solar panels don t face directly south they can still produce plenty of electricity regardless of whether you live in minnesota or california. As you might have guessed the direction your panels face can be a major factor in how much energy your rooftop solar system produces. Over the last few years we have created the first online solar production calculator that works out the exact solar production that you will get for your home based on the direction and steepness of your roof. The most optimum direction to face your solar panels is somewhere between south and west.

To correct the compass reading your solar installer will calculate the magnetic declination of your site. Solar panels however need to face solar or geographic south which is the direction towards the south pole. Apart from how much power each panel can produce how many panels you ll need what size and how well they ll work with your rooftop you ll also want to consider the best direction for solar panels to face. Five or six years ago the question of which direction solar panels should face was easy.

As you move farther to the north the sun has a lower position in the sky and solar panels must be tilted more. In locations that are not far to the north such as florida or texas solar panels do not need a drastic tilt. By the same reasoning if the solar panel is located in the southern hemisphere the panel should instead face in the direction of true north. It is at this location that your panels will receive the maximum sunlight throughout the day.

Which way should my solar panels be facing. Installing panels that face north is not recommended since it results in the lowest electricity output. The direction that your solar panels face is ultimately dependent on whether or not your system is connected through net energy metering nem and under a time of use tou payment structure. Net energy metering and time of use.

The flatter the roof the less solar energy production falls when panels face east or west rather than south. According to the concord consortium makers of energy3d solar energy modeling software a home in boston ma with panels that face west would get 80 of the electricity that a house with south facing. West facing solar panels get less sun than those that face south but it s not as little as you may think. You also can mount solar panels on roofs that face east or west on the roof of another building like a barn or garage or on the ground.

The steeper it is the more it is an issue. If your roof does not face the right direction then surface mounted panels or pole mounted panels may be your best bet.