Fixed Solar Panel Tilt Angle

It s not a good idea to install your panels to face a suboptimal direction even if it means the best tilt possible.

Fixed solar panel tilt angle.

An additional 3 5 though can be gained by evaluating this more carefully. Both of these angles require latitude degrees. On the picture below is a easy to understand map. Solar panels with a fixed tilt angle.

For a precise method use the second formula on this page to calculate tilt angle. The angle is based on your latitude minus 15 degrees. This table gives some examples. Whatever your latitude is you can subtract 15 from it to calculate the angle for summer.

There are two methods for calculating the tilt angle for solar panels. The tilt angle or elevation angle describes the vertical angle of your solar panels. Solar panels should face directly into the sun to optimize their output. Calculating minimum sun height at noon.

To get the maximum energy efficiency during the summer solstice the solar panels in chicago must face south and be tilted 19 90 71. Subtract 15 degrees from the latitude at your location during summer and add 15 degrees to your latitude during winter. For panels that you will want to use all year and not have to touch once they are installed you will want to install at a solar panel angle optimized for just that. Solar panels should always face true south in the northern hemisphere north in the southern hemisphere tilted from the hoizontal at a degree equal to your latitude plus 15 degrees in winter or minus 15 degrees in summer.

A solar panel tilt of 19 degrees will work best in los angeles. In boston a solar array at 30 degrees south is still going to produce more electricity than tilted at 42 degrees and facing north. Showing with clear colored lines what your best solar panel angle will be depending on where on earth you live. The best tilt angle for winter is the latitude times 0 875 plus 19 2 degrees.

Similarly you can calculate the angle for winter by adding 15. If your latitude is between 25 and 50 then the best tilt angle for summer is the latitude times 0 93 minus 21 degrees. In this way at noon the panels will be perfectly perpendicular to the sun s rays. For fall or spring you can just subtract 2 5 from the latitude.

For example with this logic in the bay area near san francisco you would want to tilt solar panels at 22 or 23 degrees.