Best Orientation For Solar Panels In Australia

For the best results solar panels should be oriented towards the south.

Best orientation for solar panels in australia. 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. In the northern hemisphere the general rule for solar panel placement is solar panels should face true south and in the southern true north. If your property is located in the northern hemisphere panels facing south will perform best. In fact all southern hemisphere locations should ideally position panels in a northerly direction.

The ideal angle for solar panels in australia is usually equal to the latitude angle of the location of the property. This means that for best results the roof pitch of your property should ideally be equal to the latitude angle with the panels mounted at the same angle as the roof. 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. Orientation australia being in the southern hemisphere experiences a sun that is predominantly coming at us from the north.

While this is not a bad direction it is often possible to get a very small boost by having them face slightly away from due north. Most cost efficient solar panels produce about 270w 300w under direct sunlight. This is because the sun is always in the southern half of the sky in the northern hemisphere. In this case for the solar panels to get their best performance a steep angle of 60 is best.

Panels facing west produce around 12 less electricity overall than north facing solar panels. However there is a difference between magnetic south and true south that must be considered. What angle for solar panels should be chosen to maximize the production all year long. Optimal orientation for solar panels in australian capitals.

In the northern hemisphere the sun is due south at solar noon. Ensure your solar panels quality and safety by only purchasing modules approved by the clean energy council the foremost clean energy accrediting body in australia. Usually this is the best direction because solar panels will receive direct light throughout the day. There is of course deviance throughout the seasons but ideally solar panels should be facing as close to true north as possibleto reduce the impact that the winter seasons have on energy yields.

Directly north isn t always best it is generally accepted the best direction to face solar panels to get the maximum possible output is directly north. Therefore to get the very best out of your photovoltaic panels you would typically face them due south at the optimum angle so that the panel is receiving as much sunlight as possible at this time. They reach their maximum output around one and a half hours after noon and just before sunset will produce around one quarter of their peak maximum.