Which Way Do Solar Panels Face In Australia
The direction solar panels should face is true south a k a.
Which way do solar panels face in australia. In the northern hemisphere the general rule for solar panel placement is solar panels should face true south and in the southern true north. This angle varies and is just about equal to the latitude of your home how far north you are in relation to the equator. In fact all southern hemisphere locations should ideally position panels in a northerly direction. If your roof does not face the right direction then surface mounted panels or pole mounted panels may be your best bet.
Usually this is the best direction because solar panels will receive direct light throughout the day. This is because the sun is always in the southern half of the sky in the northern hemisphere. The direction that your solar panels face is fundamental to how much energy they can produce and how much money you can save over time. East west if you are on a low 6 12 cent feed in tariff and you want to maximise your morning and afternoon production.
True south can also be calculated at noon when shadows from vertical objects run north south. Microinverters and power optimisers are tiny devices attached to each solar panel. Some can only cope with solar panels facing in one direction but inverters that can handle two directions are now common. It is at this location that your panels will receive the maximum sunlight throughout the day.
If your property is located in the northern hemisphere panels facing south will perform best. Within the brisbane solar industry most people will tell you that the ideal location to place to put your panels is. 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. You might be thinking that the direction your panels should face is obvious and should simply be towards the direction where they will be exposed to sunlight for the most amount of the day but the answer is not that simple.
For the best results solar panels should be oriented towards the south. North if you are on an old 44 52 cent feed in tariff and want to sell power back to the grid. The most optimum direction to face your solar panels is somewhere between south and west. To correct the compass reading your solar installer will calculate the magnetic declination of your site.
Generally it s common knowledge in the solar industry that these south facing panels should be tilted between a 30 and 40 degree angle. For australia solar power yields are higher when panels face north. However there is a difference between magnetic south and true south that must be considered. For most people in australia the direction you want your solar panels to face is true north and with between 20 50 degrees of tilt depending on how southern or northern you are.
The most common sort in australia are string inverters.