Best Placement Of Solar Panels On Roof

True south or the geographic south will yield the best results overall.

Best placement of solar panels on roof.

Ideally you want your solar system to be on the area of your roof that faces south specifically southwest. Generally there are two main preferences when selecting the azimuth angle of the solar panels. Most professionals say that the best placement is to have the panels face south while others say west. 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.

In general there s one big rule. While the sun is in a higher position in the sky during the summer and lower position during the winter it has an average position right in between the two seasons. Solar panels should face south for any home in america to obtain maximum power generation. 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.

On the other hand places located in the southern hemisphere of the planet must face north for maximum energy performance. Regardless this information is important for you to determine before the installation starts. This being the case the general best practice to date has always been to position solar panels facing south in order to capture the maximum amount of sunlight overall. Usually solar panels are mounted on rooftops but they can also be placed on the ground over parking lots and exterior corridors or even close to walls.

Generally it s common knowledge in the solar industry that these south facing panels should be tilted between a 30 and 40 degree angle. Our 45 degree south facing slope is ideal panel placement in chicago area latitude 41 degrees n and could take a row of panels but for this rule. If the place is located in the northern hemisphere of the earth then the solar panels should face south. What s the best angle for solar panels.

Therefore the best angle for your solar panels is the one that allows the panels to get the most direct perpendicular light. How much weight can your roof handle. If you re in the u s. Installing solar panels will increase the weight on the structure of your roof.

If a solar panel is placed on a south facing roof in the northern hemisphere which is shaded by a tree then this can reduce the level of sunlight the solar panel will receive. Depending on the conditions and setting of the property as well as the amount of energy required any of these positions may provide for maximum sunlight. Therefore directions like southwest or southeast are fine. The surrounding environment and regional climate can also have an effect on the best placement of solar panels.

A flat roof abuts at 5 feet below the ridge ruling out placement of panels lower on the sloped roof.