Optimal Degrees For Solar Panel

Latitude 2 5 degrees.

Optimal degrees for solar panel.

To generate the most electricity you would tilt the solar panel so that it s perpendicular to the light source. For instance if your latitude is 34 the optimum tilt angle for your solar panels during winter will be 34 15 49. In case the roof is very steep you may not be able to get the most optimal tilt angle for the panel especially if it is lower than the angle of the roof. For a precise method use the second formula on this page to calculate tilt angle.

Books and articles on solar energy often give the advice that the tilt should be equal to your latitude plus 15 degrees in winter or minus 15 degrees in summer. The summer optimum tilt angle on the other hand will be 34 15 19. Most roofs have an inclination of 30 to 40 degrees. The result for chicago is 90 42 23 25.

Latitude x 0 9 29 degrees. At this level the solar panel can lie flat on the roof and get enough sunlight to produce enough electricity. Once you have figured this out you can use one of the formulas below to calculate the best angle for your solar panels for each season. 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.

It turns out that you can do better than this about 4 better. For instance in the san francisco bay area the best solar panel tilt angle is between 22 23 degrees. I know that middle school was a long time ago so i ll clarify that perpendicular means a 90 angle. Tilt is the vertical angle where a 0 tilt means that the panel is laying flat and a 90 tilt means that it s vertical.

The subsequent mathematical operation remains unchanged. For los angeles a solar panel tilt of 19 degrees works the best. The optimum tilt angle is calculated by adding 15 degrees to your latitude during winter and subtracting 15 degrees from your latitude during summer. To calculate the sun height at midday during the winter solstice instead of subtracting we must add 23.

Latitude x 0 9 23 5 degrees.