Best Direction For Solar Panel

Other Places You Can Install Solar Panels

If the direction of your rooftop is not southward, there are still other areas you can install solar systems.

• Roof install it on the roof anyway. A simple 1400-watt solar panel can still produce energy even if they are not facing southwards.
• Wall a south-facing wall is a good alternative for homes with roofs that dont face the ideal direction. Make sure that the wall is shade-free.
• Solar array on the ground a ground-mounted solar system is another great location. This area is easy to maintain and install and is a great alternative for those without other options.

But What About The Reduced Power Output

True, South-facing solar panels still produce about 16% more power than East-West panel systems. However, boosting the power of East-West solar panels to match South-facing solar panels can cost very little. The benefit of a better generation profile is often well worth this small added cost. On top of this, you can increase DC over-sizing with East-West solar panels compared to South-facing solar panels. DC over-sizing means using more than 3kW of solar panels with a 3kW inverter. You can do this with an East-West system because the panels will never all be at maximum output at any one time. This way, DC over-sizing helps you get the maximum return for your investment by controlling inverter costs.

Solar Panel Orientation Azimuth Orientation

Azimuth This is the compass angle of the sun as it moves through the sky from East to West over the course of the day. Generally, azimuth is calculated as an angle from true south.

At solar noon which is defined as an azimuth angle of zero degrees, therefore Azimuth = 0o, the sun will be directly south in the northern hemisphere and directly north in the southern hemisphere.

Solar azimuth angles to the east of due south are negative in nature, with due east having an azimuth angle of -90o. Solar azimuth angles to the west of due south are positive in nature, with due west having an azimuth angle of +90o. In general however, the azimuth angle required for the correct solar panel orientation varies with the latitude and time of year.

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Q: Other Perks Of South

A: If your home has access to net metering, facing your solar panels south increases output and sends more power to the grid. During mid-day hours, energy collection is higher. Since most people arent home then, more power is generated than needed, so you can get reimbursed for more. Time of use rates are also a consideration. With TOU rates, power sent to the grid during peak hours is worth more, so pointing solar panels to the west or southwest later in the day can help earn you more money.

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Whats The Best Direction For Solar Panels

Its a factthe orientation of your roof affects how much energy solar panels can potentially produce. Still, its not as straightforward as assigning a one-size fits all hard and fast rule for solar panel placement. For homes in the northern hemisphere, south-facing solar panels do receive the most direct sunlight throughout the year. However, a south-facing roof is by no means a necessity for a productive and economically viable solar power system.

A rooftop solar power system facing east or west can still generate enough energy to meet your energy demandsparticularly if its paired with a home battery backup system. Solar panel direction is one of several factors that determine the viability of rooftop solar. Here is a breakdown of the role roof orientation plays in producing clean, renewable energy for your home.

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Fixed Solar Panel Angle & Direction By Zip Code

• Post author:Solar Sena
• Post published:April 26, 2021

The table below lists the optimal tilt angle and direction for fixed solar panels for the US cities and regions by zip codes.

Note: The optimal title angle does not change for different zip codes within the same city or region. Also, the optimal direction for fixed solar panels is south for the entire US. If your city is not listed in the below table, you use SolarSenas optimal tilt angle calculator to find the angle for your desired location.

Which Direction Should Solar Panels Face In California

It is recommended that solar panels in California be installed facing south to southwest. This gives you the most amount of sun in the day and maximizes the output from your panels. While most solar experts say that having your panels facing the south is the most effective, this may not always be possible for every home. In these cases, positioning them toward the southwest can often be just as efficient and may give you more options and flexibility for how you install your panels. Things like shade, roof slope, and overall location impact the final positioning of your panels.

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San Diego Solar Panels And Products

There are a variety of ways you can optimize the efficiency of your home or business by adding San Diego solar panels. From smaller and independent home solar products to our manufactured-in-house SMX Solar Panels, we strive to offer only the highest-quality products in the industry. Best of all, our solar systems and solutions come with strong warranties and financing options to make them more attainable than ever.

Confused About Solar Panels

You dont have to decide on your own. There are professionals out there that are solar pros who can help you navigate the many different options available to you.

Even if you dont have rates where you live right now, they might be coming soon.

Places can help you size and position your panels, as well as advise on how to save with tax breaks or incentives when you go solar!

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Do Solar Panels Need To Face South

Ideally, solar panels should face south for optimal sunlight and electricity production. According to the US Energy Information, the simplest way to maximize total annual system output of a fixed-tilt system is to tilt the panels south. The rationale is pretty simple. In the northern hemisphere, South is the direction of the Earths axis. When you consider the best direction for solar panels to face to be true south, they have more access to direct sunlight throughout the year. When facing south, the optimum tilt for solar panels is between 30 and 45 degrees. But thats not the only reason solar panels should face south. Here are the others.

Which direction should solar panels face for net metering?

Net metering is a program available through most utility companies. It enables homeowners to sell back their unused solar energy to receive credits on their electricity bill. South-facing solar panels generate the most electricity overall, but especially when they produce during the middle of the day. In fact, the Global Monitoring Laboratory has actually created a solar calculator that will tell you when your house will receive the most sunlight.

Which direction should solar panels face with a solar battery?

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What About Solar Trackers

The suns position is constantly moving throughout the year, and the only way to always have your solar panels angled perfectly is to install a solar tracking system. Solar trackers follow the sun as it moves slightly, which will bump up your energy production. If you are considering a ground-mounted solar system a solar tracking setup may be what you need to optimize your installation.

For the majority of solar shoppers, a rooftop system is the lowest cost and doesnt take up space on the ground. Solar trackers cant easily be installed on a rooftop solar system, so theyre generally only used in commercial solar projects they can dramatically increase production because the tracking system acts as a solar panel angle calculator.

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Going Solar Helps People Go Green

More and more people are wanting to go green and help the environment. The less you depend on nonrenewable energy sources, the less carbon you put in the air. The more you help the environment and cleaner air and slow down climate change. Adding solar panels to your home helps with one of the biggest polluters that we have control over.

If you are looking to reduce your carbon footprint and help with climate change and clean air, for your California home or business, you should consider solar. Our Sunline Energy representatives will help you with the process and our in-house engineers will design the perfect system for your roof and a big impact for the environment. If you are still unsure about going solar check out out 6 Benefits of Going Solar.

More Californian homeowners have been reducing their dependence on non-renewable resources to install solar power. Although solar power is still somewhat new, California ranks as the highest solar power generating state in the United States.

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Can You Put Solar Panels On A Wall

Yes, you can put solar panels on a wall either mounted parallel to it or tilted away.

Again, having panels tilted at the optimum angle will mean your panels can absorb more sunlight, which will lead to more savings. Having them on a south-facing wall is also a must.

Youll also want to make sure that the panels on the wall wont be obstructed by any shade.

Wall-mounted solar panels tend to be more difficult to install than foot-mounted ones, but theyre usually easier to maintain than roof-mounted or ground-mounted panels. This is because debris, snow, and other obstructions are unable to pile up, thanks to good old gravity.

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What If You Only Have A North Option

If you only have the option of placing panels on the north side of your home, you can still do it. However, you need to know that it is the worst place on your home that you can install these pieces. You will get the least amount of light, and you might even need to use racking facing them south to attempt to gather as much sunlight as possible.

A north option may not provide you with as much power, but solar panels are one of the best ways to go for clean energy. There are ways to work with north-facing solar panels that will still work for whatever you need them for in your life. It is not the end of the world, and you can still use clean energy for your home.

Are Solar Panels Right For Your Home

When deciding whether solar panels are worth it for your home, roof position should always be taken into consideration. Most reputable solar installers offer free home consultations, during which a representative will survey your roof and let you know whether rooftop solar would be a good idea based on your roofs positioning and how much sunlight your home receives throughout the year.

To get a free, no-obligation quote and set up a consultation with a top solar company near you, click below.

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Why Face Solar Panels South

Photovoltaic solar panels produce electricity from light. More light means more electricity. You might have heard that a South-facing garden gets more light than a North-facing garden. Well, its the same for solar panels. Researchers have found that in Ireland, South-facing panels produce the most electricity. So why is South not always the best direction for solar panels?

Other Directions For Solar Panels

Solar panels in Ireland will produce some electricity no matter what direction they face. However, North-facing solar panels produce substantially less power than South-facing solar panels. North-East and North-West are also fairly poor choices of orientation. On the other hand, South-West and South-East facing solar panels will produce almost as much power as South-facing panels.

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Why Face Solar Panels East

East-facing panels produce most power in the morning. On the other hand, West-facing panels produce most power in the evening. By combining East-facing and West-facing panels in one system, you get high power output from early morning right through to late evening. This is ideal for people who work away from home during the day. These people generally need less power during the day while theyre away at work and more power during the morning and evening while theyre at home. East-West arrays are ideal for meeting this pattern of electricity demand. For a similar reason, East-West arrays are very popular with Irish dairy farmers who go solar. This is because power-hungry milking equipment is mostly used in the morning and in the evening.

The Impact Of Angle And Direction On Solar Panel Output

Technically, you can face your solar panels in any direction theyll still generate some electricity, just not very much of it.

And the further you face your panels away from their optimate direction, the less energy theyll generate.

The table below outlines how much the angle and orientation of the solar panel impacts its effectiveness, with 100% indicating the maximum output.

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Solar Panel Tracking Systems

For ground-mounted panels, you might also consider installing a solar panel tracking system. Solar trackers maximize panel efficiency by rotating your panels throughout the day, allowing them to follow the movement of the sun from its rise to its set. Just how much more efficient can a tracker make your solar panel system?

One study showed that on a clear day, the average efficiency of a tracking panel was about 67%, while fixed panels only got about 40% efficiency. As you consider solar panel tracking systems, youll need to decide between a single-axis or a dual-axis system.

Single axis systems only move in one direction, typically north to south. A dual axis system allows for movement along the north-south axis and the east-west axis. Dual axis systems take up more space, and thus are mostly used in commercial settings.

They can certainly be effective, enabling your solar panels to reposition in accordance with changing seasons when the sun is higher or lower in the sky, but they typically arent necessary for residential use.

What Is The Right Angle For Home Solar Panels

As a rule of thumb, the optimal solar panel angle is the latitude of where your home is located. For example, Miami, Florida is at 25.7617° N so solar panels on homes there should be installed at around a 25° angle. In comparison, Portland, Oregon is at 45.5152° N so panels there should be angled to around 45°.

Determining the optimal tilt angle is not something most people should do on their own, especially if you have no expertise in the area. Since the sun changes its position throughout the day, and rooftop solar panels are not designed to be moved once installed, that makes the process of determining the right solar panel tilt angle a little tricky. In most cases, the calculations should be left to professional solar panel designers and installers.

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Roof Pitch Also Matters For Solar Panel Orientation

Though less impactful than the roof orientation, the angle of solar panels also affects production. The goal is to maximize sunlight that hits the panels at a perpendicular angle. If the panels are to be mounted flush with the roof, then the steepness, called roof pitch, decides the angle of the solar panels.

The ideal angle for south-facing panels here in the U.S. is between 30 and 40 degrees . The systems latitude will determine what the exact best angle is for solar production. Steeper angles have the added benefit of helping with maintenance, as snow and debris tend to slide right off.

East- and west-facing panels generate more energy when mounted flatter than 30 degrees. For example, east or west-facing solar panels that are at a 15-degree tilt trail the production of south-facing panels by 15% instead of 20% when at a 30-degree tilt.

Sub-optimal roof pitch can be corrected by constructing a mounting system that angles the panels to a preferred tilt, but this typically comes at a premium. Homes with flat roof are often able to utilize ballast-mounted systems, which have the added benefit of not requiring roof penetrations or additional racking.

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Can You Install North

Yes, you can install north-facing solar panels in the UK but it might not be very effective.

As we outline in the table above, installing panels on a roof that isnt south facing can lead to huge losses in solar output.

To overcome this issue, you can install panels on a north-facing roof with a mounting system thats pitched against the slope of the roof. We wont beat around the bush this wont look very aesthetically pleasing, but it could mean you can save up to £534 a year on energy bills.

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Adt Solar: Utahs Trusted Solar Company

ADT Solar takes pride in providing homeowners with reliable solar panel systems in Utah. Every ADT Solar energy system is expertly installed by our team using the highest industry standards.Our knowledgeable Solar Energy Specialists stand ready to help you determine whether your home would benefit from solar panels and even show you how you can maximize your savings right from the beginning.

Above all, ADT Solar is a trusted solar company in Utah, offering home solutions from solar panels to solar backup battery installations. With industry-leading products and warranties, we help homeowners take their power back with solar panel systems that generate clean, reliable energy.