How Should I Orient My Solar Panels

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.

How should i orient my solar panels.

Orientation of the panels. This is because the sun is always in the southern half of the sky in the northern hemisphere. Today we re going to explain how to mount your solar panels to get the most energy from them. If even one panel is shaded it will reduce the output of all your panels unless you invest in micro inverters or other optimizing devices.

Figure the magnetic declination the angle between. It usually costs 15 000 to 20 000 after tax credits and can reduce your electricity bill by 70 to 100 percent depending on the size and. Calculate the exact southern orientation for positioning your panels. Calculating the optimal solar panel angle as a rule of thumb solar panels should be more vertical during winter to gain most of the low winter sun and more tilted during summer to maximize the output.

Solar panel tracking systems can improve a system s output by ensuring constant direct exposure to the sun both during the day and across seasons. So we ve established that there s a sweet spot for your solar panel orientation which is directly south and a sweet spot for elevation which is between 30º and 40º. The vertical tilt of your panels. Axis trackers generate more electricity by using about the same amount of space as fixed systems.

If your solar panels face west you re able to capture the sunlight during the most critical time for the best energy production. The placement and orientation of solar panels is just as important as which type of solar panel is used in a given situation. When you do this you avoid the need to pull extra energy from the grid which means you won t be charged the higher utility. Begin with a compass to find magnetic north and accordingly south.

Cash buying your solar electric system outright is best. A solar panel will harness the most power when the sun s rays hit its surface perpendicularly. Solar panel orientation and elevation. Here two simple methods for calculating approximate solar panel angle according to your latitude.

Elevation angle and azimuth angle commonly shortened to angle and azimuth for brevity. Let s start with two key terms. Why orientation matters with rooftop solar. Even with this decrease in performance solar panels will produce enough electricity to save you hundreds of dollars a year.

For the best results solar panels should be oriented towards the south. Welcome to another entry in our ongoing solar 101 series. The advantage here is that you can use the power that your panels are producing live.