Best Direction For Solar Panels

This is so that you can expose your solar panels to as much light as possible to optimize their energy production.

Best direction for solar panels.

This is because the sun is always in the southern half of the sky in the northern hemisphere. For those who are not part of a tou model with their utility company the direction that you want to face your solar panels is south. It is at this location that your panels will receive the maximum sunlight throughout the day. Therefore directions like southwest or southeast are fine.

Now a compass tells you magnetic north and south but it does not show you true north and south. The most optimum direction to face your solar panels is somewhere between south and west. 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.

This being the case the general best practice to date has always been to position solar panels facing south in order to capture the maximum amount of sunlight overall. Generally it s common knowledge in the solar industry that these south facing panels should be tilted between a 30 and 40 degree angle. There is a difference. If your roof does not face the right direction then surface mounted panels or pole mounted panels may be your best bet.