Best Roof Angle For Solar Panels

By isaac ost jan 3 2018.

Best roof angle for solar panels.

The best roof for solar panels 5 common materials. The ideal angle for solar panels in australia is usually equal to the latitude angle of the location of the property. Latitude 2 5 degrees. For flat roofs this angle can be achieved through brackets that are added onto the roof.

Overall the angle of your rooftop has less impact on solar panel performance than the direction your roof faces. However pitch angles between 30 and 45 degrees will work well in most situations. For example a solar panel placed flat onto a west facing wall will produce about half the amount of electricity compared to being placed at a 30 degree angle on a south facing roof. For example if you reside in sydney a roof pitch of 34.

This means that for best results the roof pitch of your property should ideally be equal to the latitude angle with the panels mounted at the same angle as the roof. While the general consensus in the solar power industry is that either west or south is the best direction for solar panels to face these two options don t necessarily address the needs of every individual solar user. For example richard perez and sam coleman in pv module angles home power n 34 p 14 16 1993 recommend an angle that puts the panel perpendicular to the sun s rays at noon. Since solar panels are more productive when the sun s rays are perpendicular to their surfaces the certainly best orientation is the one directly true south azimuth angle 180.

In case the roof is very steep you may not be able to get the most optimal tilt angle for the panel especially if it is lower than the angle of the roof. Latitude x 0 9 29 degrees. While the sun is in a higher position in the sky during the summer and lower position during the winter it has an average position right in between the two seasons. In such a scenario the best thing to do would be to keep the panels lying flat.

Once you have figured this out you can use one of the formulas below to calculate the best angle for your solar panels for each season. On the contrary in the countries of the southern hemisphere such as south africa and australia the best orientation is true north. The best angle and orientation for solar panels in the uk. Each situation is unique in terms of roof angle property layout and power consumption.

The answers you end up with are the best angles for each particular season. Therefore the best angle for your solar panels is the one that allows the panels to get the most direct perpendicular light. That is indeed the best angle at noon on that day but it does not take into account the best angle for capturing solar energy at other times of the day. For optimum performance a solar panel should be at a 30 degree angle and face south or southwest.