Does It Matter Which Way You Orient Solar Panels

This helps determine the best positioning for solar panels.

Does it matter which way you orient solar panels.

If it s standing upright perpendicular to the ground it is at a 90 angle. Polycrystalline solar panels pros. If you re in the u s. For the best results solar panels should be oriented towards the south.

However each of the above only considers. In general there s one big rule. 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. This will help optimize energy output.

There are a few reasons why most solar panels are installed vertically. The size of solar panels makes them well suited to be installed vertically on most roofs. When a solar system is level with the ground it has no tilt. On the other hand if you live in the southern hemisphere you can use this same technique.

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. Like monocrystalline polycrystalline boasts a long lifespan and usually comes bundled with a 25 year warranty. This is because the sun is always in the southern half of the sky in the northern hemisphere. 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. 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. Fewer rails are required to mount a solar panel vertically instead of horizontally. Recently the new york times and popular science even purported that solar panels should face west rather than south to avoid unintended consequences.

The other important factor is angle. As you may have read elsewhere solar panels should face true south. However in some cases it may be better to install them horizontally or at some other angle for other considerations. 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.

It does so by spinning counterclockwise along its axes. This is a simple tried and true way to find the perfect direction and like i said you can do it with no tools. It is easier to have a continuous row of solar panels if they are installed vertically. 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 you would want to face your solar panels in the opposite direction of where your shadows face.