Why Should Solar Panels Face North

If you re in the u s.

Why should solar panels face north.

However each of the above only considers. If you re in the southern hemisphere everything is flipped though if you have an east west facing roof you ll be able to go solar in either case. Recently the new york times and popular science even purported that solar panels should face west rather than south to avoid unintended consequences. The ideal situation is when the sun is hitting the panels at a perfectly perpendicular angle 90.

We can install panels on south east or west facing roofs. Not only because they are there to use electricity when it is produced but also because it is easy for them to shift demand by using washing machines clothes dryers pool filters and other devices in the middle of the day. Installing panels that face north is not recommended since it results in the lowest electricity output. The direction that your solar panels face is ultimately dependent on whether or not your system is connected through net energy metering nem and under a time of use tou payment structure.

This maximizes the amount of energy striking the panels and being produced. Or elsewhere in the northern hemisphere the best direction for solar panels to face is true south though there is an exception. In general there s one big rule. On the other hand west facing panels are more productive in the afternoon since the sun sets in that direction.

Solar panels should face south for any home in america to obtain maximum power generation. The only roof face you would never install solar panels on is the north face assuming you re living in the northern hemisphere. Since the sun rises in the east solar panels facing in that direction are more productive in the morning. For australia solar power yields are higher when panels face north.

In fact all southern hemisphere locations should ideally position panels in a northerly direction. However solar panels can be orientated on any roof that faces south of either east or west. The premise behind this is simple. North is the only direction that we don t want to put panels on.

The sun is in a different place in the sky and solar panels should face it as squarely as is reasonably possible throughout the day. The short answer is no. 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. Therefore directions like southwest or southeast are fine.