Solar panel orientation

Solar panel facing the correct direction and having an appropriate tilt will help ensure that they
produce maximum energy as they exposed to the highest intensity of sunlight for the greatest
period of time.

Direction
In the northern hemisphere, the general rule for solar panel placement is, solar panels should face
true south. Usually this is the best direction because solar panels will receive
direct light throughout the day. However there is a difference between magnetic south and true
south that must be considered (Amin et al., 2018).

Magnetic south is the "south" shown when a compass is used, and this south points to the Earth's
south magnetic pole. Solar panels, however, need to face solar or geographic south, which is the
direction towards the South Pole (Llorens, 2015).

Depending on how solar panels are being used, it may also be beneficial to have a slight rotation
away from due south. For example, depending on the use solar panels used for a home should face
slightly south-west. These panels collect more energy when they face due south, but the energy is
more useful if it comes later in the day. This turn allows the solar panels to produce more electricity
at the hours when it is needed. Pointing the panels slightly south-west, in the direction of the
setting sun would allow the panels to produce more energy in the evening, when people are home
and using more appliances (Amin et al., 2018).

Angle of inclination
The angle or tilt of a solar panel is also an important consideration. The angle that a solar panel
should be set at to produce the most energy in a given year is determined by the
geographical latitude (Amin et al., 2018). A general rule for optimal annual energy production is
to set the solar panel tilt angle equal to the geographical latitude (Gevorkian, 2008). For example,
if the location of the solar array is at 50o latitude, the optimal tilt angle is also 50o
References

LLORENS, D., 2015). Which direction should solar panels face? [Online]. Available
at: http://www.solarpowerrocks.com/solar-basics/which-direction-should-solar-panels-face/.
[Accessed on 27 December 2019]

GEVORKIAN, P., 2008. "Array tilt angle loss," Solar Power in Building Design, 1st edition.
United States of America: McGraw-Hill, 4, 109.

AMIN. S., HANANIA, J., STENHOUSE, K., YYELLAND, B., DONEV, J., 2018. Energy
education. University of Calgary. Available at:
https://energyeducation.ca/encyclopedia/Solar_panel_orientation [ Accessed on 27 December
2019]