For starters there is no single ideal angle for solar panels.
Perfect round solar panel placement.
Choosing the right placement can greatly improve panel efficiency and maximize the return on your investment.
Tilt the panels to your latitude plus 15.
In general there s one big rule.
Tilt the panels to your latitude.
This is because the sun is always in the southern half of the sky in the northern hemisphere.
If you re in the u s.
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 solar panels should be positioned due south for best performance and in the southern hemisphere they should be positioned due north.
An additional 3 5 though can be gained by evaluating this more carefully.
For the best results solar panels should be oriented towards the south.
Solar panels should always face true south in the northern hemisphere north in the southern hemisphere tilted from the hoizontal at a degree equal to your latitude plus 15 degrees in winter or minus 15 degrees in summer.
Calculating the optimal solar panel angle as a rule of thumb solar panels should be more vertical during winter to gain most of the low winter sun and more tilted during summer to maximize the output.
Here two simple methods for calculating approximate solar panel angle according to your latitude.
Tilt the panels to your latitude minus 15.
On the contrary in the countries of the southern hemisphere such as south africa and australia the best orientation is true north.
Or elsewhere in the northern hemisphere the best direction for solar panels to face is true south though there is an exception.
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 if you live in an urban area in the united states you might just be able to find the best angle for the photovoltaic panels with your zip code.
Tilt the panels to your latitude.
True north is not the same as magnetic north.
Solar panels should always face true south if you are in the northern hemisphere or true north if you are in the southern hemisphere.
If you are using a compass to orient your panels you need to correct for the difference which varies from place to place.
If you are able to adjust the angle of your solar panels a few times per year here is the adjustment schedule we recommend.
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.
