Solar Panel Angle Map

Let s start with two key terms.

Solar panel angle map.

At 90 from true south therefore east and west production can drop to 30. Solar panels should always face true south in the northern hemisphere north in the southern hemisphere tilted from the hoizontal at a degree equal to your latitude plus 15 degrees in winter or minus 15 degrees in summer. Azimuth is measured in degrees clockwise from north. After finding the best place to install your solar panels your installer will select the ideal tilt.

If your latitude is below 25 use the latitude times 0 87. This decline is due to the fact that solar panels during most of the day are exposed to weak and not perpendicular sunlight. When a solar system is level with the ground it has no tilt. To get the best out of your photovoltaic panels you need to angle them towards the sun.

Photovoltaics produce power when the angle at which the sun s rays hit the panel surface the angle of incidence is small or when light strikes the panel as close to perpendicular as possible. If it s standing upright perpendicular to the ground it is at a 90 angle. Solar panel angle by zip code your life would be much easier if you could just find out what angle is the optimal solar panel angle in your city or county. An additional 3 5 though can be gained by evaluating this more carefully.

Elevation is measured in degrees up from the horizon. The table below features a solar panel angle by zip code for at least one city from every state. Solar panel angle is another way of describing the vertical tilt of your pv system. Use one of these formulas to find the best angle from the horizontal at which the panel should be tilted.

The angle is calculated based on your latitude. Cosine of solar zenith angle. Elevation angle and azimuth angle commonly shortened to angle and azimuth for brevity. However if the panels are turned at an angle greater than 45 compared to true south production begins to decrease significantly.

This solar angle calculator tells you the optimum angle to get the best out of your system. Az el both report dark after astronomical twilight. The optimum angle varies throughout the year depending on the seasons and your location and this calculator shows the difference in sun height on a month by month. If your latitude is between 25 and 50 use the latitude times 0 76 plus 3 1 degrees.

The vertical tilt of your panels. The solar panel angle can affect the amount of solar electricity you generate and is based on two factors. Welcome to another entry in our ongoing solar 101 series. But what about the direction your solar panels should face from an angle perspective.