Direction To Point Solar Panels

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

Direction to point solar panels.

When you point your solar panels west you are not maximizing the total amount of energy that is produced. The traditional advice is to position solar panels to be south facing. It is at this location that your panels will receive the maximum sunlight throughout the day. However there is a difference between magnetic south and true south that must be considered.

For the best results solar panels should be oriented towards the south. To correct the compass reading your solar installer will calculate the magnetic declination of your site. This is because for those of us living in the northern hemisphere the sun is always along the southern part of the sky as we complete our yearly orbit around it. This means that your solar panels will be put in a unique direction specifically to maximize energy production between this time range.

What you are doing is optimizing your energy production for maximum savings with your utility company. The direction solar panels should face is true south a k a. Usually this is the best direction because solar panels will receive direct light throughout the day. Locating the best direction to point your solar panels can be accomplished very quickly.

You could use tools if you wanted to but you can just as quickly figure it out with none at all. Build a simple solar pointer and at solar noon you can point your panel t. Solar south or geographic south. True south can also be calculated at noon when shadows from vertical objects run north south.

This is because the sun is always in the southern half of the sky in the northern hemisphere. To do this you should point your solar panel west. If your roof does not face the right direction then surface mounted panels or pole mounted panels may be your best bet. 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.