How Should I Orient My Solar Panels

Axis trackers generate more electricity by using about the same amount of space as fixed systems.

How should i orient my solar panels.

Orientation of the panels. Why orientation matters with rooftop solar. Let s start with two key terms. Utilizing solar panel trackers to maximize your solar system s performance.

Calculate the exact southern orientation for positioning your panels. Today we re going to explain how to mount your solar panels to get the most energy from them. In general solar panels that are oriented directly east or directly west will produce about 20 percent less electricity than if they were facing south. The vertical tilt of your panels.

The placement and orientation of solar panels is just as important as which type of solar panel is used in a given situation. 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. Welcome to another entry in our ongoing solar 101 series. Begin with a compass to find magnetic north and accordingly south.

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. 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. A solar panel will harness the most power when the sun s rays hit its surface perpendicularly. If your solar panels face west you re able to capture the sunlight during the most critical time for the best energy production.

This is because the sun is always in the southern half of the sky in the northern hemisphere. 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. Elevation angle and azimuth angle commonly shortened to angle and azimuth for brevity.

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. For the best results solar panels should be oriented towards the south. Even with this decrease in performance solar panels will produce enough electricity to save you hundreds of dollars a year. The advantage here is that you can use the power that your panels are producing live.

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. Solar panel orientation and elevation. 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.