Do Solar Panels Need To Face The Sun

Monocrystalline panels are better than polycrystalline but are more expensive.

Do solar panels need to face the sun.

Solar panels perform at their best when the sun is shining straight on to the panels. In order to collect energy more efficiently solar panels should be angled to face as close to the sun as possible. A solar panel will harness the most power when the sun s rays hit its surface perpendicularly. When the sun shines onto the surface at an angle the panel will still generate electricity but it will be less effective.

Face panels south for non tou ratepayers for those who are not part of a tou model with their utility company the direction that you want to face your solar panels is south. Calculating the ideal angle for your solar panels is not that difficult. The most optimum direction to face your solar panels is somewhere between south and west. All solar panels will perform better in open south facing locations that get direct sunlight.

As a general rule of thumb keep in mind that the panels need to be more vertical during winter to face the lower sun directly and more tilted towards the ground during summer to face the higher sun. Photovoltaics produce power when the angle at which the sun s rays hit the panel surface the angle of incidence is small or when light strikes the panel as close to perpendicular as possible. It is at this location that your panels will receive the maximum sunlight throughout the day. Solar panels produce electricity from the photons present in natural daylight rather than from the sunlight itself so panels don t actually need to be installed in direct sunlight to work.

If your roof does not face the right direction then surface mounted panels or pole mounted panels may be your best bet. Amorphous panels will work best in shady or cloudy conditions but will not compete with monocrystalline or polycrystalline panels will when the sun comes out. It just depends on where you live. In the uk south facing panels will generate more than other orientations.

Recently the new york times and popular science even purported that solar panels should face west rather than south to avoid unintended consequences.