Which Direction Should Solar Panels Face In South Africa

The most optimum direction to face your solar panels is somewhere between south and west.

Which direction should solar panels face in south africa.

You can also mount facing north west or north east however this is less effective. The climate and geographic area also affect the working ability of solar panels. 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. The direction solar panels should face is true south a k a.

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. The following is a guest post by dr. For the best results solar panels should be oriented towards the south. Generally it s common knowledge in the solar industry that these south facing panels should be tilted between a 30 and 40 degree angle.

To make the most of the sun in south africa it is best to install on roofs that face north. 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. To correct the compass reading your solar installer will calculate the magnetic declination of your site. Find out in about 60 seconds.

So what direction should solar panels face. If your roof does not face the right direction then surface mounted panels or pole mounted panels may be your best bet. It is at this location that your panels will receive the maximum sunlight throughout the day. This is because the sun is always in the southern half of the sky in the northern hemisphere.

Solar south or geographic south. In darwin south facing panels only produce about 15 less electricity overall than north facing panels but as the northern territory still has a high feed in tariff the most cost effective direction to face solar modules is north. What is the optimum angle to install on. Joshua rhodes a postdoctoral research fellow in the webber energy group and the energy institute at the university.

However the electricity system is not as simple as it sometimes seems and the best direction to face solar panels may actually be west. This is measured on a case by case basis depending on the location. The pull or magnetic declination will vary in direction and strength depending on your location. They function at their peak when they re pointed north facing the sun directly and at an angle that s not shadowed or sheltered by trees.

There are optimal conditions for solar panels south africa. Panels can be placed in multiple directions other than just an east west split.