Which Way Should Solar Panels Face In Uk

Solar south or geographic south.

Which way should solar panels face in uk.

Most solar panels are facing the wrong direction say scientists. Five or six years ago the question of which direction solar panels should face was easy. The direction that your solar panels face is fundamental to how much energy they can produce and how much money you can save over time. But west facing panels are able to generate more even flow of electricity.

It is at this location that your panels will receive the maximum sunlight throughout the day. The most optimum direction to face your solar panels is somewhere between south and west. Solar panel orientation and elevation. Joshua rhodes a postdoctoral research fellow in the webber energy group and the energy institute at the university.

This is because the sun is always in the southern half of the sky in the northern hemisphere. In northern hemisphere most solar panels point south. 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.

If even one panel is shaded it will reduce the output of all your panels unless you invest in micro inverters or other optimizing devices. True south can also be calculated at noon when shadows from vertical objects run north south. If your roof faces slightly off south or even straight east west it is still very likely that solar pv could generate savings and income for you. For the best results solar panels should be oriented towards the south.

So what direction should solar panels face. To correct the compass reading your solar installer will calculate the magnetic declination of your site. So we ve established that there s a sweet spot for your solar panel orientation which is directly south and a sweet spot for elevation which is between 30º and 40º. Which way should my solar panels be facing.

Because high feed in tariffs were available they simply had to have an orientation facing north in order to maximise the amount of electricity they produced and so earn the most feed in. South facing roof panels see the sun when it is at its most intense for the longest period of time which is why they generate the most energy. The direction your panels face is certainly a factor in how much they will generate and closer to south is better but it is only one factor. Which direction should my roof face for solar panels.

The following is a guest post by dr.