However there is a difference between magnetic south and true south that must be considered.
Best direction to orient a fixed solar panel.
Or elsewhere in the northern hemisphere the best direction for solar panels to face is true south though there is an exception.
If your roof does not face the right direction then surface mounted panels or pole mounted panels may be your best bet.
On the contrary in the countries of the southern hemisphere such as south africa and australia the best orientation is true north.
During the spring the best angle is 45 and during the summer when the sun is high in the sky it s best to have a low tilt at 20.
Since solar panels are more productive when the sun s rays are perpendicular to their surfaces the certainly best orientation is the one directly true south azimuth angle 180.
Solar panels should face south for any home in america to obtain maximum power generation.
This is because the sun is always in the southern half of the sky in the northern hemisphere.
In general there s one big rule.
Panels mounted on a standard pitch roof facing east or west will produce approximately 15 less output than panels mounted on a south facing roof of a standard pitch.
It is at this location that your panels will receive the maximum sunlight throughout the day.
Usually this is the best direction because solar panels will receive direct light throughout the day.
Now a compass tells you magnetic north and south but it does not show you true north and south.
What angle for solar panels should be chosen to maximize the production all year long.
The more sunlight reaches your solar panels the more electricity you can generate and the more money you ll be able to save on your electric bill.
There is a difference.
The rule is that if you live in the southern hemisphere you should point your panels true north and if you live in the northern hemisphere you should point them true south.
However solar panels can be orientated on any roof that faces south of either east or west.
For the best results solar panels should be oriented towards the south.
The most optimum direction to face your solar panels is somewhere between south and west.
If you re in the u s.
Orientation of the panels.
Therefore directions like southwest or southeast are fine.