The Solar Panel Angle

When a solar system is level with the ground it has no tilt.

The solar panel angle.

If it s standing upright perpendicular to the ground it is at a 90 angle. Why does the angle of a solar panel matter. As we ve mentioned there is no one best angle for all regions in the usa. There are two methods for calculating the tilt angle for solar panels.

Similarly you can calculate the angle for winter by adding 15. Whatever your latitude is you can subtract 15 from it to calculate the angle for summer. 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.

Therefore the best angle for your solar panels is the one that allows the panels to get the most direct perpendicular light. The summer optimum tilt angle on the other hand will be 34 15 19. It turns out that you can do better than this about 4 better. The next question is at what angle from horizontal should the panels be tilted.

The optimum tilt angle is calculated by adding 15 degrees to your latitude during winter and subtracting 15 degrees from your latitude during summer. 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. Solar panels should face directly into the sun to optimize their output. On the contrary in the countries of the southern hemisphere such as south africa and australia the best orientation is true north.

Both of these angles require latitude degrees. 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. 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. Azimuth angle is their horizontal facing in relation to the equator.

Solar panel angle is another way of describing the vertical tilt of your pv system. 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.