What Direction Should Solar Panels Face In The Southern Hemisphere

In the northern hemisphere the general rule for solar panel placement is solar panels should face true south and in the southern true north.

What direction should solar panels face in the southern hemisphere.

Recently the new york times and popular science even purported that solar panels should face west rather than south to avoid unintended consequences. Just like the amount of sun that a place receives the answer is not the same everywhere. To correct the compass reading your solar installer will calculate the magnetic declination of your site. The direction solar panels should face is true south a k a.

However each of the above only considers the simplified case of west or south facing panels. The direction solar panels should ideally face for optimum sun exposure varies depending on location. While the angle of your solar panels is important a more important factor in your energy production is going to be the direction your panels face. For the best results solar panels should be oriented towards the south.

It is at this location that your panels will receive the maximum sunlight throughout the day. The ideal direction that solar panels must face changes depending on whether you live in the northern hemisphere or the southern hemisphere. If you re in australia or elsewhere in the southern hemisphere your solar panels should face north. Solar south or geographic south.

An additional 3 5 though can be gained by evaluating this more carefully. For australia solar power yields are higher when panels face north. This is because the sun is always in the southern half of the sky in the northern hemisphere. Usually this is the best direction because solar panels will receive direct light throughout the day.

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. But in general there s one big rule. If your roof does not face the right direction then surface mounted panels or pole mounted panels may be your best bet. True south can also be calculated at noon when shadows from vertical objects run north south.

This is a simple tried and true way to find the perfect direction and like i said you can do it with no tools. However there is a difference between magnetic south and true south that must be considered. The most optimum direction to face your solar panels is somewhere between south and west. In the northern hemisphere panels must face south and.

However you would want to face your solar panels in the opposite direction of where your shadows face.