The rule is that if you live in the southern hemisphere you should point your panels true north and if you live in the northern hemisphere you should point them true south.
Best direction to orient a fixed solar panel.
Panels mounted on a standard pitch roof facing east or west will produce approximately 15 less output than panels mounted on a south facing roof of a standard pitch.
What angle for solar panels should be chosen to maximize the production all year long.
Usually this is the best direction because solar panels will receive direct light throughout the day.
In general there s one big rule.
If your roof does not face the right direction then surface mounted panels or pole mounted panels may be your best bet.
If you re in the u s.
During the spring the best angle is 45 and during the summer when the sun is high in the sky it s best to have a low tilt at 20.
The more sunlight reaches your solar panels the more electricity you can generate and the more money you ll be able to save on your electric bill.
However there is a difference between magnetic south and true south that must be considered.
In this case for the solar panels to get their best performance a steep angle of 60 is best.
Now a compass tells you magnetic north and south but it does not show you true north and south.
On the contrary in the countries of the southern hemisphere such as south africa and australia the best orientation is true north.
Orientation of the panels.
It is at this location that your panels will receive the maximum sunlight throughout the day.
There is a difference.
Solar panels should face south for any home in america to obtain maximum power generation.
However solar panels can be orientated on any roof that faces south of either east or west.
Therefore directions like southwest or southeast are fine.
This is because the sun is always in the southern half of the sky in the northern hemisphere.
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.
In the northern hemisphere the general rule for solar panel placement is solar panels should face true south and in the southern true north.
For the best results solar panels should be oriented towards the south.
