Solar Efficiency Roof Orientation

If you re installing solar panels on a roof the azimuth will be determined by which direction your roof points and the tilt will likely be fixed based on the pitch of your roof.

Solar efficiency roof orientation. Pv panels output will drop off beyond these figures. Generally if your roof pitch is anywhere between 10 15 either side of the latitude angle you will only lose between 1 1 5 of the maximum solar output possible at your location. This is because the sun is always in the southern half of the sky in the northern hemisphere. Orientation of the panels.

In some cases your solar installer will install racks that allow the panels to be tilted slightly to maximize production. So let s just say that you really. For australia solar power yields are higher when panels face north in fact all southern hemisphere locations should ideally position panels in a northerly direction. A typical two storey house roof in the uk ha a roof elevation of around 30º 40º although there are exceptions.

But keep in mind every house is unique. Therefore directions like southwest or southeast are fine. Why orientation matters with rooftop solar. Your best bet is to connect with a solar expert near you to see whether your home is right.

Panels mounted on a standard pitch roof facing east or west will produce approximately 15 less output than panels mounted on a south facing roof of a standard pitch. If you have an unshaded west facing roof you can still install solar panels and save money. To use the melbourne example again with a northern orientation a roof pitch of 23 would deliver around 98 5 and a pitch of 28 around 99 of the. However solar panels can be orientated on any roof that faces south of either east or west.

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. For the best results solar panels should be oriented towards the south. For a south facing roof or 12 6kwh yr. Even with this decrease in performance solar panels will produce enough electricity to save you hundreds of dollars a year.

Your roof orientation material and shade profile are all part of what makes your home good or bad for solar panels. The direction solar panels should ideally face for optimum sun exposure varies depending on location. In general solar panels that are oriented directly east or directly west will produce about 20 percent less electricity than if they were facing south. Elevation is the pitch of your roof in degrees from horizontal.

At the 10 in 12 roof pitch we went with the output is slightly higher. For a southeast facing roof. Shade will also affect your output regardless of the orientation or elevation.