Optimal Orietation For Annual Collection Solar Panel

A general rule for optimal annual energy production is to set the solar panel tilt angle equal to the geographical latitude.

Optimal orietation for annual collection solar panel.

Directly north isn t always best it is generally accepted the best direction to face solar panels to get the maximum possible output is directly north. For the best results solar panels should be oriented towards the south. For instance if your latitude is 34 the optimum tilt angle for your solar panels during winter will be 34 15 49. An additional 3 5 though can be gained by evaluating this more carefully.

This is because the sun is always in the southern half of the sky in the northern hemisphere. In general there s one big rule. Choose a location to view a sensitivity plot displaying incident solar radiation vs collector orientation. Here pvwatts is used to estimate annually averaged solar output in all countries of the world assuming tilted panels.

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. The above 1 21 is a light hearted observation of an average 9 5 working family. The optimum tilt angle is calculated by adding 15 degrees to your latitude during winter and subtracting 15 degrees from your latitude during summer. That tilt angle is the optimal tilt angle.

For example if the location of the solar array is at 50 o latitude the optimal tilt angle is also 50 o. Annual optimal orientation of fixed tilt solar collectors when mounting a fixed tilt solar collector it is critical to understand the optimal orientation of the solar collector. Early morning and evenings are active times in such households. 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.

The summer optimum tilt angle on the other hand will be 34 15 19. If you re in the u s. So we ve 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. Or elsewhere in the northern hemisphere the best direction for solar panels to face is true south though there is an exception.

So what s the effect on output the further you go from these optimum conditions. Orientation of the panels. While this is not a bad direction it is often possible to get a very small boost by having them face slightly away from due north. Essentially the closer a solar panel is located to the equator the more the panel should be pointing straight up.

East and west facing solar panels ensure an optimised solar panel orientation for these peak times therefore maximising the ability to convert more energy from the available light. The optimal tilt angle in each location is found by calculating panel output with different tilt angles until the tilt angle giving the maximum output is found.