Optimum Fixed Angle For Solar Panels

The optimum angle varies throughout the year depending on the seasons and your location and this calculator shows the difference in sun height on a month by month basis.

Optimum fixed angle for solar panels.

Similarly you can calculate the angle for winter by adding 15. However pitch angles between 30 and 45 degrees will work well in most situations. These angles will give you the best overall output over the course of the year if you re going for a fixed installation. Therefore the best angle for your solar panels is the one that allows the panels to get the most direct perpendicular light.

To use the above example again san diego is located at a latitude of 32 7157 n. Books and articles on solar energy often give the advice that the tilt should be equal to your latitude plus 15 degrees in winter or minus 15 degrees in summer. There are two methods for calculating the tilt angle for solar panels. It turns out that you can do better than this about 4 better.

Overall the angle of your rooftop has less impact on solar panel performance than the direction your roof faces. You d be just fine if you set your panels at around 33 and left them untouched. Of course the sun is continually moving throughout the day and to get the very best from your photovoltaic system you would need to angle your panels to track the sun minute by minute. To get the best out of your photovoltaic panels you need to angle them towards the sun.

For instance if your latitude is 34 the optimum tilt angle for your solar panels during winter will be 34 15 49. Both of these angles require latitude degrees. The next question is at what angle from horizontal should the panels be tilted. A tilt of approximately 25 to 35 will work best for locations in the us.

So what is the best tilt angle for solar panels in the united states. Ideally a fixed roof mounted solar energy system should be at an angle that is equal to the latitude of the location where it is installed. Whatever your latitude is you can subtract 15 from it to calculate the angle for summer. For instance in the san francisco bay area the best solar panel tilt angle is between 22 23 degrees.

Here two simple methods for calculating approximate solar panel angle according to your latitude. Lower tilts closer to 25 will be better for southern states while those in the north will want to be closer to 35. 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.