Solar panels perform at their best when the sun is shining straight on to the panels.
Do my solar panels have to face south.
Well when it comes to solar panels west is second best.
Or you could point the needle north south and face the panels at 166 degrees on the compass.
The answers are a bit misleading.
Over the last few years we have created the first online solar production calculator that works out the exact solar production that you will get for your home based on the direction and.
What you are doing is optimizing your energy production for maximum savings with your utility company.
Using a shadow at solar noon.
According to the concord consortium makers of energy3d solar energy modeling software a home in.
This is a good action if you have enough space on the rooftop.
With the 30 federal tax credit utility.
On many homes they ll have some east west and south facing roof where panels can be placed.
It seems that west facing solar panels would help you to do that to a much greater degree than generally recommend south facing solar panels.
Do you have to have a south facing roof to have solar panels.
So in such places if you can cut your grid electricity usage dramatically at times of peak demand and peak pricing by using rooftop solar power at that time instead you can save some serious cash.
For example 1 in california you would point the compass at 194 degrees but orient your panels at the s that is still fixed on the compass.
To do this you should point your solar panel west.
Therefore if your tilted roof on any side is facing north by more than 20 degrees then you should ignore that section.
In the uk south facing panels will generate more than other orientations.
You can still have an effective.
For the best results solar panels should be oriented towards the south.
Reveal the true solar south now that we have marked that special line we concluded in the third step the direction of the solar south has been revealed.
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.
When the sun shines onto the surface at an angle the panel will still generate electricity but it will be less effective.
Face panels south for non tou ratepayers.
Go west young one.
But what if you don t have a suitable south facing roof.
This could be the simplest way it takes far less time than method 1.
By putting some panels on the south and others on the east and west the difference in production can be minimized even further.
On a flat roof if the orientation of the building is not strictly n s then you have the option of making panels face south.
You could then adjust your solar panels to align with this direction.
In summary south is the best for solar but east and west are still good too.
This is because the sun is always in the southern half of the sky in the northern hemisphere.
The steeper it is the more it is an issue.