Do Solar Panels Need To Face The Sun

Face panels south for non tou ratepayers for those who are not part of a tou model with their utility company the direction that you want to face your solar panels is south.

Do solar panels need to face the sun.

In the uk south facing panels will generate more than other orientations. All solar panels will perform better in open south facing locations that get direct sunlight. Photovoltaics produce power when the angle at which the sun s rays hit the panel surface the angle of incidence is small or when light strikes the panel as close to perpendicular as possible. In order to collect energy more efficiently solar panels should be angled to face as close to the sun as possible.

The most optimum direction to face your solar panels is somewhere between south and west. It just depends on where you live. Recently the new york times and popular science even purported that solar panels should face west rather than south to avoid unintended consequences. This is so that you can expose your solar panels to as much light as possible to optimize their energy production.

A solar panel will harness the most power when the sun s rays hit its surface perpendicularly. However each of the above only considers. As a general rule of thumb keep in mind that the panels need to be more vertical during winter to face the lower sun directly and more tilted towards the ground during summer to face the higher sun. If your roof does not face the right direction then surface mounted panels or pole mounted panels may be your best bet.

Solar panels perform at their best when the sun is shining straight on to the panels. When the sun shines onto the surface at an angle the panel will still generate electricity but it will be less effective. Monocrystalline panels are better than polycrystalline but are more expensive. It is at this location that your panels will receive the maximum sunlight throughout the day.

Calculating the ideal angle for your solar panels is not that difficult.