Which Direction Should Fixed Solar Panels Face In Australia

If your property is located in the northern hemisphere panels facing.

Which direction should fixed solar panels face in australia.

The direction in which panels will generate over 99 9 of maximum possible output. So to help people decide what is the best direction to face their panels for all the australian capitals i ll describe. For the best results solar panels should be oriented towards the south. For most people in australia the direction you want your solar panels to face is true north and with between 20 50 degrees of tilt depending on how southern or northern you are.

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. True south can also be calculated at noon when shadows from vertical objects run north south. Of course most people don t get to decide which direction they face their solar panels. Solar panels however need to face solar or geographic south which is the direction towards the south pole.

This is because the sun is always in the southern half of the sky in the northern hemisphere. This table shows you how much energy you can expect to get from almost any combination of solar panel direction and angle in the capital cities compared to the optimum orientation. For australia solar power yields are higher when panels face north. The direction that your solar panels face is ultimately dependent on whether or not your system is connected through net energy metering nem and under a time of use tou payment structure.

The direction solar panels should ideally face for optimum sun exposure varies depending on location. The direction solar panels should face is true south a k a. It is at this location that your panels will receive the maximum sunlight throughout the day. Since the majority of solar panel owners keep their system on the grid we can split this grouping into simply those who pay for energy based on a tou payment.

For example in brisbane if your panels are facing west 270 and are angled 20 from horizontal you will get 89 of the energy compared to the optimum orentation of north and 30. Net energy metering and time of use. It s determined by the shape of their roof. In fact all southern hemisphere locations should ideally position panels in a northerly direction.

Australia being in the southern hemisphere experiences a sun that is predominantly coming at us from the north. The most optimum direction to face your solar panels is somewhere between south and west. If your roof does not face the right direction then surface mounted panels or pole mounted panels may be your best bet. Once again referring to the graph.

To correct the compass reading your solar installer will calculate the magnetic declination of your site. By the same reasoning if the solar panel is located in the southern hemisphere the panel should instead face in the direction of true north.