Best Direction For Solar Panels On Roof

Every home is unique and it s best to speak with an expert in solar to understand where solar panels should be placed on your roof.

Best direction for solar panels on roof.

Solar panels should face south for any home in america to obtain maximum power generation. However the electricity system is not as simple as it sometimes seems and the best direction to face solar panels may actually be west. In the northern hemisphere the sun crosses the sky a little to the south which means putting solar panels on a south facing roof is the best way for homeowners to capture the most solar energy. 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.

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. The most optimum direction to face your solar panels is somewhere between south and 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. It is generally accepted the best direction to face solar panels to get the maximum possible output is directly north.

But what if you don t have a suitable south facing roof. This is a simple tried and true way to find the perfect direction and like i said you can do it with no tools. Outside of tou the biggest factors that influence the direction of your solar panels are shading and other obstructions that impact the panel s exposure to light. For the best results solar panels should be oriented towards the south.

While this is not a bad direction it is often possible to get a very small boost by having them face slightly away from due north. This is because for those of us living in the northern hemisphere the sun is always along the southern part of the sky as we complete our yearly orbit around it. It is at this location that your panels will receive the maximum sunlight throughout the day. Or elsewhere in the northern hemisphere the best direction for solar panels to face is true south though there is an exception.

The traditional advice is to position solar panels to be south facing. However you would want to face your solar panels in the opposite direction of where your shadows face. On the other hand if you live in the southern hemisphere you can use this same technique. In general there s one big rule.

This is because the sun is always in the southern half of the sky in the northern hemisphere. If your roof does not face the right direction then surface mounted panels or pole mounted panels may be your best bet. However solar panels can be orientated on any roof that faces south of either east or west. The conventional wisdom in the northern hemisphere is that the best direction to face solar panels is south since that is generally where they d receive the most sunlight.

Therefore directions like southwest or southeast are fine.