Solar Panel Efficiency Flat Vs Tilted

The ideal orientation for a solar panel array is due north and the ideal tilt angle is the angle of your latitude e g.

Solar panel efficiency flat vs tilted.

Installing your solar panels at the ideal tilt angle and orientation for your latitude ensures that your system generates as much electricity as possible for your location. The ideal angle for your solar panels can vary depending on your solar objectives. The angle of your roof actually has less impact on solar panel performance than the direction your solar energy system faces. To tilt or not to tilt.

These angles will give you the best overall output over the course of the year if you re going for a fixed installation. Skip to 12 15 to hear rex and patrick discuss the main solar solutions for different kinds of flat roofing. Optimum angle differs during winter months. Because the steep angle of your roof might already be higher than the optimal angle for production the best you can do is lie your panels flat against the roof.

Solar panels on a flat roof. If your solar panels will have a fixed tilt angle and you want to get the most energy over the whole year then this section is for you. For example if you are seeking to maximise solar generation during winter months be it for an off grid system or higher energy consumption levels you would ideally want to angle your panels at a greater tilt for maximum exposure to the low winter sun. The array s tilt is the angle in degrees from horizontal.

The violet line is the solar energy per day if the panel is fixed at the winter angle discussed below these figures are calculated for 40 latitude. If you are trying to install solar panels on a steep roof it may not be possible to place panels at the optimal tilt with traditional racking systems. For los angeles a solar panel tilt of 19 degrees works the best. For instance in the san francisco bay area the best solar panel tilt angle is between 22 23 degrees.

A flat roof has a 0 degree tilt and a vertical wall mount has a 90 degree tilt angle. However even if you lower the tilt of your roof all the way down to 5 production only decreases by about 10 percent. It s actually possible to increase energy production.