It s a common belief that panel tilt from horizontal should equal a location s latitude but this is not quite correct.
Optimum solar panel angle adelaide.
The optimum angle varies throughout the year depending on the seasons and your location and this calculator shows the difference in sun.
In winter a panel fixed at the winter angle will be relatively efficient capturing 81 to 88 percent of the energy compared to optimum tracking.
So what percentage of solar energy do you lose from not having panels mounted at the optimum angle.
So for my house in adelaide a good solar panel angle is 35 from horizontal.
Why is a great solar panel angle simply your latitude.
The paragraph above on tilting seems plain wrong.
Because your latitude is the same as the angle of the sun in the sky halfway between midwinter and midsummer.
The sun moves across the sky and will be low or high depending on the time of the day and the season.
What angle is optimum for solar panels i e.
Solar output losses when the panel angle is not ideal.
The key solar system components what angle is optimum for solar panels i e.
As australia is in the southern hemisphere the solar panels produce most power when they are pointed directly at the sun i e.
The sun will be about 15 degrees higher in the sky in summer and 15 degrees lower in the sky in winter.
I believe jarrah harburn has taken that graph unreferenced from your home technical manual for latitude 35 s.
Solar panels give the highest energy output when they are directly facing the sun.
Can they be put flat on a roof.
In 7 of australia s 8 capitals the best angle is at least 3 degrees less than the latitude.
This solar angle calculator tells you the optimum angle to get the best out of your system.
Can they be put flat on a roof.
Well now that we know that the optimal direction is south we need to find the optimal tilt angle.
Sunlight is more powerful when it is directly overhead and hitting the earth surface or a solar panel at an angle of 90 such as at midday in summer so keeping the sunlight striking the surface of the solar panel close to 90 is desirable for maximum efficiency.
It does not describe solar panel tilt and orientation in australia in general as the title might lead one to believe.
This article is about the best angle to tilt solar panels for the maximum possible energy yield over a year.
First of all in the choice of the tilt angle for solar panels on a house roof we are bound to satisfy two basic needs.
Ideally solar panels would be positioned at an angle of 38 in melbourne equal to the latitude angle of the city 37 81.
In the spring summer and autumn the efficiency is lower 74 75 in spring autumn and 68 74 in summer because in these seasons the sun travels a larger area of the sky and a fixed panel can t.
The need for energy production and the need for an aesthetically pleasing and long lasting final result the roof of a house already has its own inclination and slope so a.
Optimum tilt angle is different for different latitudes.
