Which Direction To Face Solar Panels

Net energy metering and time of use.

Which direction to face solar panels. Installing panels that face north is not recommended since it results in the lowest electricity output. This is a simple tried and true way to. On the other hand if you live in the southern hemisphere you can use this same technique. This is because the sun is always in the southern half of the sky in the northern hemisphere.

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. It is at this location that your panels will receive the maximum sunlight throughout the day. Solar panels however need to face solar or geographic south which is the direction towards the south pole. Since the sun rises in the east solar panels facing in that direction are more productive in the morning.

The direction that your solar panels face is ultimately dependent on whether or not your system is connected through net energy metering nem and under a time of use tou payment structure. Since the majority of solar panel owners keep their system on the grid we can split this grouping into simply those who pay for energy based on a tou payment. Solar south or geographic south. As you might have guessed the direction your panels face can be a major factor in how much energy your rooftop solar system produces.

Apart from how much power each panel can produce how many panels you ll need what size and how well they ll work with your rooftop you ll also want to consider the best direction for solar panels to face. If your roof does not face the right direction then surface mounted panels or pole mounted panels may be your best bet. However the electricity system is not as simple as it sometimes seems and the best direction to face solar panels may actually be west. The most optimum direction to face your solar panels is somewhere between south and west.

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. For the best results solar panels should be oriented towards the south. To correct the compass reading your solar installer will calculate the magnetic declination of your site. The direction solar panels should face is true south a k a.

The conventional wisdom in the northern hemisphere is that the best direction to face solar panels is south since that is generally where they d receive the most sunlight. 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. However you would want to face your solar panels in the opposite direction of where your shadows face. By the same reasoning if the solar panel is located in the southern hemisphere the panel should instead face in the direction of true north.

Another simple method is to look at your house on. On the other hand west facing panels are more productive in the afternoon since the sun sets in that direction.