This article is about the best angle to tilt solar panels for the maximum possible energy yield over a year.
Optimum solar panel angle adelaide.
Solar output losses when the panel angle is not ideal.
In 7 of australia s 8 capitals the best angle is at least 3 degrees less than the latitude.
It s a common belief that panel tilt from horizontal should equal a location s latitude but this is not quite correct.
What angle is optimum for solar panels i e.
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.
To get the best out of your photovoltaic panels you need to angle them towards the sun.
Can they be put flat on a roof.
The paragraph above on tilting seems plain wrong.
The key solar system components what angle is optimum for solar panels i e.
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.
The optimum angle varies throughout the year depending on the seasons and your location and this calculator shows the difference in sun.
I believe jarrah harburn has taken that graph unreferenced from your home technical manual for latitude 35 s.
Well now that we know that the optimal direction is south we need to find the optimal tilt angle.
Well it depends based on the orientation and angle of the panels.
Why is a great solar panel angle simply your latitude.
It does not describe solar panel tilt and orientation in australia in general as the title might lead one to believe.
Because your latitude is the same as the angle of the sun in the sky halfway between midwinter and midsummer.
Solar panels give the highest energy output when they are directly facing the sun.
Can they be put flat on a roof.
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.
As australia is in the southern hemisphere the solar panels produce most power when they are pointed directly at the sun i e.
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.
The solar panel angle of your solar system is different depending on which part of the world you are.
So for my house in adelaide a good solar panel angle is 35 from horizontal.
This solar angle calculator tells you the optimum angle to get the best out of your system.
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.
The sun will be about 15 degrees higher in the sky in summer and 15 degrees lower in the sky in winter.
Ideally solar panels would be positioned at an angle of 38 in melbourne equal to the latitude angle of the city 37 81.