Why is the perfect solar panel angle simply your latitude.
Best angle for solar panels adelaide.
So for my house in adelaide the ideal solar panel angle is 35 from horizontal.
The ideal situation is when the sun is hitting the panels at a perfectly perpendicular angle 90.
Luckily it is actually dead simple.
On the contrary in the countries of the southern hemisphere such as south africa and australia the best orientation is true north.
If your latitude is between 25 and 50 then the best tilt angle for summer is the latitude times 0 93 minus 21 degrees.
If don t have a north facing roof or your roof is flat then your solar installer may install brackets to help angle the panels correctly.
This means that for best results the roof pitch of your property should ideally be equal to the latitude angle with the panels mounted at the same angle as the roof.
Optimum angle for solar panels.
The following table gives the best dates on which to adjust.
However depending on when you use the most electricity you may want to consider optimising your installation for different times in the year.
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.
For example if you reside in sydney a roof pitch of 34 would be considered ideal as this is equal to the latitude angle 33 86 of the nsw capital.
To get the best out of your photovoltaic panels you need to angle them towards the sun.
The optimal panel angle in adelaide for year round solar production is 35 from the horizontal and facing due north 0 azimuth.
If your latitude is outside this range see other situationsbelow.
This solar angle calculator tells you the optimum angle to get the best out of your system.
Equator facing is usually the best orientation for fixed array i e.
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.
This allows for the most total production throughout the year.
No tracking solar panels.
Essentially the closer a solar panel is located to the equator the more the panel should be pointing straight up.
If your roof is shaded by trees consider if it s worth having them pruned.
A general rule for optimal annual energy production is to set the solar panel tilt angle equal to the geographical latitude.
Additionally solar panels should ideally be installed facing north to maximise solar output.
For example if the location of the solar array is at 50 o latitude the optimal tilt angle is also 50 o.
The two factors that such an angle is controlled by are the orientation north south east west and the angle of the panels from the surface of the earth.
The ideal angle for your solar panels to maximize the power produced over the whole year is simply the latitude of your location.
The best tilt angle for winter is the latitude times 0 875 plus 19 2 degrees.
This does however cost slightly more.