Does It Matter Which Way You Orient Solar Panels

Polycrystalline solar panels pros.

Does it matter which way you orient solar panels.

As you may have read elsewhere solar panels should face true south. The size of solar panels makes them well suited to be installed vertically on most roofs. It does so by spinning counterclockwise along its axes. Or elsewhere in the northern hemisphere the best direction for solar panels to face is true south though there is an exception.

Fewer rails are required to mount a solar panel vertically instead of horizontally. In general there s one big rule. This table shows you how much energy you can expect to get from almost any combination of solar panel direction and angle in the capital cities compared to the optimum orientation. Polycrystalline panels are somewhat less efficient than monocrystalline panels think 13 16 efficiency rather than 15 20 but not by much and for the slight decrease in efficiency you can save a considerable amount of money.

It is easier to have a continuous row of solar panels if they are installed vertically. This will help optimize energy output. If it s standing upright perpendicular to the ground it is at a 90 angle. 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.

Solar panel angle is another way of describing the vertical tilt of your pv system. For the southern hemisphere solar panels should face true north. This is a simple tried and true way to find the perfect direction and like i said you can do it with no tools. If you re in the u s.

Recently the new york times and popular science even purported that solar panels should face west rather than south to avoid unintended consequences. The more sunlight reaches your solar panels the more electricity you can generate and the more money you ll be able to save on your electric bill. However in some cases it may be better to install them horizontally or at some other angle for other considerations. Like monocrystalline polycrystalline boasts a long lifespan and usually comes bundled with a 25 year warranty.

Panels should be tilted at an angle with ground that equals the latitude of the location. For example in brisbane if your panels are facing west 270 and are angled 20 from horizontal you will get 89 of the energy compared to the optimum orentation of north and 30. However each of the above only considers. That is the rule of thumb for the northern hemisphere.

For the best results solar panels should be oriented towards the south. On the other hand if you live in the southern hemisphere you can use this same technique. This helps determine the best positioning for solar panels. This is because the sun is always in the southern half of the sky in the northern hemisphere.

When a solar system is level with the ground it has no tilt.