Positioning With Solar Panels

This is the simplest and fastest way to position a solar panel for the best output.

Positioning with solar panels.

However there is a difference between magnetic south and true south that must be considered. Usually this is the best direction because solar panels will receive direct light throughout the day. The angle at which the solar panel is elevated plays a vital role in maximizing the production of energy. In the northern hemisphere the general rule for solar panel placement is solar panels should face true south and in the southern true north.

However every place is different as you have to take seasons and the average position of the sun into account when installing one. Determining the best angle can be a tedious task. True north is not the same as magnetic north. Since residential solar s infancy just two decades ago conventional wisdom has dictated that the panels face true south since that orientation is thought to provide them with the maximum possible sun exposure throughout the day.

Therefore the best angle for your solar panels is the one that allows the panels to get the most direct perpendicular light. Select a location from the city pulldown menu or select enter lat long from the pulldown menu and manually enter the latitude longitude and time zone information in the appropriate text boxes. It is at this location that your panels will receive the maximum sunlight throughout the day. Solar panels should always face true south if you are in the northern hemisphere or true north if you are in the southern hemisphere.

True south can also be calculated at noon when shadows from vertical objects run north south. To correct the compass reading your solar installer will calculate the magnetic declination of your site. The traditional advice is to position solar panels to be south facing. For this calculator latitude is positive to the north and longitude is positive to the west of the prime meridian.

If you are using a compass to orient your panels you need to correct for the difference which varies from place to place. The direction solar panels should face is true south a k a. If your roof does not face the right direction then surface mounted panels or pole mounted panels may be your best bet. This is because for those of us living in the northern hemisphere the sun is always along the southern part of the sky as we complete our yearly orbit around it.

Solar panels produce electricity when sunlight hits their surface and they produce the most energy when that sunlight is exactly perpendicular to the panel face.