Where Is The Best Place For Solar Panels

Can Solar Panels Be Fitted If Your Roof Is East West Facing

I get asked this a lot and there isnt really a simple answer. You either accept that your output will be down to the sort of levels in the table above or you spend a little more money and try to maximise the your output with technology.

How? I hear you ask.

Well, lets look at the east west options:

Option 1. You could install all your panels on the east roof and take as much sun as you can in the mornings. They would all then be in the shade during the second half of the day.

Option 2. Put your panels on the west roof and take as much sun as you can in the evenings. They would then be in the shade during the first half of the day.

Option 3. Split your array in two and put half on the east and half on the west, although arguably you would get similar results to the above two options. As half your panels would be in the shade during the first half of the day and the other half would be in the shade during the second half of the day.

Whichever of the above options you go for you’ll have to reduce the effect of shading.

That means spending more money on micro inverters or an optimizing device. These basically micro manage each panel meaning the panels in the shade shouldnt affect the output of the rest of the panels which are in the sun.

The downside is that these devices cost more money although they claim to increase output by around 20%

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Solar Panel Simulator For Pv System 3d

If you want to see what the entire solar panel installation will look like beforehand, you will need to simulate it. If you are not an engineer or 3D designer, then it will be very difficult to do so.

There are many details to consider when modeling that you may or may not even know about. Solar Panel Simulator for PV System 3D application was developed for such people, which will take into account all the nuances.

Here you can simulate a complete ready-made system for any location convenient for you.Using your smartphone, you should view all the directions available for your chosen location, select the position of solar panels and compare the results with the ideal calculations.

With Solar Panel Simulator for PV System 3D, you will be able to see how all the energy will be generated and how it will affect your yield. The application automatically calculates the amount of time needed for the entire system to pay for itself.

For perfect calculations, it is required that your smartphone has a magnetometer and a gyroscope. So you can get all the necessary parameters that are calculated in real-time. Perfect savings are available to you right now.

Is It Worth Renting Solar Panels What Will Happen To My Home

The final piece of the equation to fully consider if you are thinking about entering into a lease agreement is your homes appearance. It should stand to reason that the appearance of your house is going to be altered through the installation of a solar panel system. However, when you enter into a solar lease, this alteration can be taken to extremes.

This is because of the fact that solar companies view your property as a solar farm. They are not considering its appearance or residential usage when they start to design their systems.

Consider the following drawbacks.

• Solar companies want to cram as many solar panels as possible onto the available surfaces of your home.
• Once you sign your solar lease, you are giving permission to the solar company to essentially do as they wish with your property.
• Often, absolutely no regard is shown for the original appearance of your property in the pursuit of harnessing as much power as possible.

After you sign your name on the dotted line, you are effectively surrendering all of the exterior surfaces of your property to the company. It is absolutely imperative that before you decide to commit to an incredibly lengthy lease agreement like this, you first check over the final system design blueprints and any other available documentation showing precisely what the final system is going to look like.

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Which Direction Is Best For Solar Panels

The first thing to consider for your solar panel installation, and probably the aspect that will most affect its output, is the direction that the panels face. A large part of the best advice here just comes down to simple logic with regards to the suns movements, as no matter where you live, the sun always rises in the east and sets in the west.

In the UK, we are in the northern hemisphere. This means that the sun is above the equator and therefore your solar panels will be most effective if they are south facing. Panels facing south will face the sun all day long. This gives them the maximum possible time to collect sunlight and convert it into energy.

Of course, many properties do not have an appropriate south-facing roof but thats not necessarily a reason to give up on solar panels. If you cant have south-facing panels, the next best option is west-facing, and then east-facing. North-facing panels are the least effective and are impractical in the UK. Some homeowners choose to have panels on both east and west-facing roofs if they do not have a south-facing home.

Best Solar Panels For Your Home

Whether youre installing a DIY solar panel system or having a one of the solar companies we trust handle the details, youll want to choose the best solar panels for your home. But with so many options, it can be hard to know which panels you need. In this article, well narrow down the 10 best residential solar panels based on materials, price, efficiency and more.

• Most efficient panels available for homes
• Cradle to Cradle certified sustainable
• Industry-leading warranty coverage

• Slightly less efficient than top competitors
• Less availability

• Not the best choice for small roofs
• Don’t perform the best in high temperatures
• Slightly short warranty coverage

• Great value for the cost
• Best-in-class warranty coverage
• Only two residential solar panel options

Services Offered

• Work well in high temperatures
• Slightly short warranty coverage

• Slightly less efficient than top competitors

Services Offered

• Work well in high temperatures
• Can be slightly expensive

• Great for RV or light off-grid applications
• Highly efficient
• Likely not powerful enough to run a whole home

Services Offered

All homes are different, so theres no one best solar panel for every system. Its important for homeowners to assess their specific needs and to select the right solar panels to accommodate their household energy requirements.

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Assess Your Options For Using Solar

Purchasing and installing a system that you fully own and maintain is no longer the only option if you want to go solar. Even if you rent your home or don’t want to purchase a rooftop system, there are many programs will enable you to still benefit from solar electricity.

Below are some of the options available for using solar energy at home check with local installers and your utility for programs available in your area.

Purchasing a Solar Energy System

Purchasing a solar energy system with cash or a loan is the best option when you want to maximize the financial benefits of installing solar panels, take advantage of tax credits, and increase the market value of your home, and a solarize program is unavailable or impractical.

The solar installer will connect the system to the grid, and receive an interconnection permit from the utility. When the PV system generates more power than the homeowner requires, the customer is often able to sell excess electricity to the grid, and when the homeowners electricity needs exceeds the capacity of the system, the home draws energy from the grid as usual. Learn more about grid-connected home energy systems.

Purchasing a solar energy system is a good option if one or more of the following apply to you:

Community or Shared Solar

Consider community solar if one or more of the following apply to you:

Learn more about community and shared solar.

Solar Leases

Solar leases are a good option if one or more of the following apply to you:

Best Solar Panels Ranked By Materials Warranty

A solar panels materials warranty protects against equipment failure due to environmental factors or manufacturing defects. Based only on the longest materials warranties available from solar companies, here are the best solar panel manufacturers:

Best solar panels by material warranty

As shown above, all of the top solar panel manufacturers ranked by materials warranty offer the same length of warranty, setting this tier of companies apart. For reference, the industry standard for panel materials warranties is 10 years.

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Bottom Line: Are Solar Panels Worth It For Your Home

As more and more homeowners seek clean energy solutions, solar power is increasingly attractive. By harnessing the suns natural energy, homeowners can reduce their dependence on traditional utility companies. Not only does this yield significant savings on monthly electric bills , but it also reduces direct contributions to atmospheric pollution.

Ultimately, the decision about getting solar panels is a highly individual one. For some homeowners, going solar makes plenty of sense. For others, it may prove unfruitful.

As you consider whats best for you, make sure you take into account your home: The surface area available on your roof, the kind of weather you get and the level of sunlight youre exposed to.

Also think about the panels themselves: Which performance factors should you consider? Which type of panels is best? And which brand is best aligned with your needs and your budget?

Best Direction For Solar Panels

As you consider solar panel installation, it’s crucial to remember that, for the highest energy production, you’ll want your panels to receive direct sunlight throughout the day. Again, for those who live in the Northern Hemisphere, this means orienting your panels toward true south, and vice versa in the Southern Hemisphere.

Note that, when we talk about true south, we’re talking about geographic south, not magnetic south. In other words, you should orient your solar energy system based on the lines of longitude on a map, not by the directions on a compass.

Something else to keep in mind is that it may be beneficial to have a rotation slightly away from the best direction if you want to adjust the hours that your solar panels provide you energy .

Hopefully, you have a south-facing roof that is optimally positioned for your solar panels. If the orientation of your roof isn’t quite right, however, that doesn’t mean solar power is off the table. There are several other options to consider, including solar carports and ground-mounted solar panels that can utilize south-facing panels for optimum electricity production.

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Ideal Places For Solar Panel Installation

Maximum exposure to sunlight is the goal when installing solar panels, therefore, making roof installations more popular. Homeowners can also choose ground-mounted solar to have enough production from solar.

There is a reason why solar panel installers will always first consider the roof. It is at a vantage point, and it offers more exposure to sunlight which guarantees more production. However, when this is not an ideal option, they can recommend ground-mounted solar. Various factors are considered when installing solar panels, whether on the roof or mounted on the ground.

What Do You Need To Consider Before Putting Solar Panels On An East Facing Roof

First, you need to consider your local climate and weather patterns. If it snows regularly where you live, an east-facing roof will usually be shaded by trees or other structures in the afternoon when the sun is at its peak west roofs are less likely to be shaded in the afternoon.

You also need to consider how much space you have available on your roof. If you only have room for a few panels, it doesnt make sense to orient them so theyll produce less energy just because of their orientation.

When deciding where best to place solar panels on my house, I recommend you use a solar panel savings calculator.

This tool does all the math for you so you can easily see which orientation is best for your location and how much it would cost to install them there.

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Which Solar Panel Direction Will Maximise Your Self Consumption

The best panel direction to maximise self consumption of solar electricity will depend upon a households electricity usage patterns. Panel directions and the type of households various orientations generally best suit are given below:

North Orientation: Panels that face north will produce the most electricity overall. North facing solar panels are often the best choice for people who are at home during the day. Not only because they are there to use electricity when it is produced, but also because it is easy for them to shift demand by using washing machines, clothes dryers, pool filters and other devices in the middle of the day. Because north facing solar panels produce the most electricity overall, they will have the greatest environmental benefit.

North-West Orientation: Solar panels that face north-west will produce around 5% less electricity overall than north facing panels. Their electricity production through the day will be between that of north and facing panels and that of west facing panels. They produce slightly more electricity during the afternoon and slightly less in the morning.

North-east Orientation: Panels facing north-east provide will produce around 5% less electricity than north facing solar panels and their production through the day will be between that of north facing modules and east facing ones.

An east/west split can suit both people who are home through the day and those who are at home in the morning and the afternoon.

Location Location Location The Best Spot To Install Solar Panels

When it comes to solar panels, placement is vitally important. As you are investing in the fulfilment of producing your own power, saving money, and reducing your carbon footprint, your solar panels should be placed where you achieve the maximum benefits.

Roof or Ground Mounting

Solar panels are most often seen mounted on rooftops but depending on the opportunities for orientation and placement other positions can also provide optimal benefits of maximum sunlight including on exterior corridors, above parking stations, on the ground, close to walls, on rainwater tanks, and free stand mounted in paddocks. Solar panels can also be used to heat swimming pools, schools, and nursing homes.

While the top of any building seems logically the best place to install solar panels , shade from nearby trees or other tall structures can greatly affect your maximum exposure. As with oddly shaped roofs, sometimes ground mounting is the better option.

Not all roofs are ideally suited for solar installation, and those made from clay tiles, those that will need repairs or replacement within 25 years , or any that have received excessive snow during the winter months are not perfect. If you have the space, ground mounted panels also allow you to manually adjust your solar panels, in order to receive maximum solar power seasonally.

Orientation and Tilt in Australia

Looking for a solar power system? Choose your location.

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How To Best Place Solar Lights

ByKatie Mortrampublished 1 August 21

Choosing the best solar lights is one thing, but finding the best place for them in your backyard is a whole other task. This requires a combination of taste and practicality you want the lights to look good, but they need to work as well.

Your options can be restricted by several factors including function, aesthetics and the environment. Weve pulled together a handy guide to help you decide wheres best to place your solar lights.

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Solar Panel Orientation In The Uk

Your solar panel orientation is very important when it comes to maximising the amount of electricity that your solar panels will produce.

As were in the northern hemisphere the best solar panel orientation is obviously south, but:

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The Part Roof Pitch And Shade Play In Solar Panel Orientation

The pitch of the home plays a part in solar panel orientation. The term pitch means the angle of the roof. The number of inches the roof rises for every 12 inches it extends horizontally determines the pitch. Homes with steep or flat roofs require extra effort. A rooftop with a pitch within standard design and installation procedures doesnt require special equipment, making it easier and cheaper to install: Yes, having a boring, non-haphazard roof can play to your financial benefit!

Solar Panel Orientation And Elevation:

So weve established that there’s a sweet spot for your solar panel orientation which is directly south and a sweet spot for elevation which is between 30º and 40º. So whats the effect on output the further you go from these optimum conditions?

Well, obviously the further you go from either of the optimum positions the more your output will drop. However the elevation doesnt drop off as much as you might imagine because the sun will still shine on them even in a horizontal position.

However as soon as your panels elevation drops below around 12º from horizontal they wont be able to self-clean themselves quite as well and once they get dirty their output will reduce.

Now that youve got the basics youll be able to look at the table below and see exactly what effect your roof elevation and orientation is likely to have on your solar panels output.

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