Do Solar Panels Need To Face The Sun

Solar panels perform at their best when the sun is shining straight on to the panels.

Do solar panels need to face the sun.

Take solar lights for an example. No but all solar panels perform best when the sun is at its best and that is in the summer. As a general rule of thumb keep in mind that the panels need to be more vertical during winter to face the lower sun directly and more tilted towards the ground during summer to face the higher sun. Let s dig a little deeper to show how to determine true south and look at the best tilt angle for solar panels.

A solar panel will harness the most power when the sun s rays hit its surface perpendicularly. Best direction for my panels. So do solar panels work when there is no sun. Ensuring that solar panels face the correct direction and have an appropriate tilt will help ensure that they produce maximum energy as they are exposed to the highest.

When in fact solar panels need light not heat. Photovoltaics produce power when the angle at which the sun s rays hit the panel surface the angle of incidence is small or when light strikes the panel as close to perpendicular as possible. If your roof does not face the right direction then surface mounted panels or pole mounted panels may be. Recently the new york times and popular science even purported that solar panels should face west rather than south to avoid unintended consequences.

The most optimum direction to face your solar panels is somewhere between south and west. Net energy metering and time of use. The sun moves from east to west during the day and is higher or lower in the sky depending on the season lower in winter higher in summer. If your panels face south they ll receive light throughout the day.

The more sunlight reaches your solar panels the more electricity you can generate and the more money you ll be able to save on your electric bill. In order to collect energy more efficiently solar panels should be angled to face as close to the sun as possible. When the sun shines onto the surface at an angle the panel will still generate electricity but it will be less effective. There is still a wide misconception solar panels need heat to make energy.

Calculating the ideal angle for your solar panels is not that difficult. It is at this location that your panels will receive the maximum sunlight throughout the day. Yes so long as the size and power of the solar panel is relative to the thing it needs to power. However each of the above only considers.

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. 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.