96% of people who installed solar panels did so to save money on their electricity bills. 86% of total solar panel users did so to help the environment.
No matter what your reasons for going solar, getting the most electricity out of your panels should be one of your major concerns. To do this you will need to find the optimum angle for solar panels.
As the sun moves across the sky, the peak angle for a solar panel changes. It can also fluctuate with seasons, and the geographic location you are located in. Read on to learn more.
It All Starts With Aspect
No matter what angle for solar panels you select, if you place them on the wrong aspect it won’t matter. You may have noticed around your home that certain areas of your property get more sunlight than others.
This can fluctuate with the time of day and seasonal variations in sunlight. That said, if you live in the northern hemisphere you may have noticed that the south-facing rooms in your home get more light than the north.
This is because the sun rises in the east and sets in the west. Throughout the entire duration of its journey, it takes a slightly southern arc through the sky. This is only true when looked at from a fixed point in the northern hemisphere.
The reverse is true in the southern hemisphere, where northern aspects get an abundance of sunlight each day. The equator is the dividing line. A lot of this phenomenon has to do with the Earth’s tilt, rotation, and orbit.
Finding the Optimum Angle for Solar Panels
The aspect is the broader angle at which the area where your solar panel is mounted faces the sun. That said, you can tilt your solar panels themselves at a specific angle to allow them to absorb the optimum amount of sunlight.
Ideally, you would install an auto-tilt and rotate device on your panels to have them follow and track the sun as it continues its journey across the sky each day.
If this is unfeasible for you, however, it is still possible to choose a neutral angle that gets the highest average amount of sunlight each day. You can then make minute changes to the angle to account for seasonal variations in sunlight.
To find the ideal angle for solar panels in your specific region, state, and town check out this handy solar angle calculator.
Since every area of the country, and the world, has its ideal angle for solar panels, stating a blanket “one size fits all number” would be useless and inaccurate. Every place on the planet has a unique ideal angle for solar panel placement.
Simply plug in the information about your geographic location into the calculator and find the ideal angle.
If this all still seems a bit too complicated for you, you might want to consult a professional for their opinion.
The experts at Blue Raven Solar are standing by to help you with any solar questions you have, such as their ideal angle placement for your specific location.
Make Some Calculations
With the aid of mathematics and a calculator, it is not too difficult to find the optimum angle for solar panels. Solar energy will soon be the industry norm when it comes to power production.
Learning how to make the most of solar power and other forms of sustainable energy now will help you stay ahead of the curve.
Optimize your solar panel’s electricity production using the info in this guide. Reliable sources of information can be hard to come by nowadays, but you will find plenty more of them like this article by visiting our blog.
