Best Angle For Solar Panels In Winter

So you would actually make an adjustment 11 to the west to find the ideal azimuth.

Best angle for solar panels in winter. In general a steeper slope is preferable during the summer as the sun will be higher in the sky. Solar panel lifespan guide are solar trackers helpful. By doing this you are setting up your panels to perform more efficiently in the winter because they will more directly face the sun as it shines from a lower point in the sky. The result for chicago is 90 42 23 25.

By performing these adjustments you will face your panels directly at the equator maximizing their exposure to sunlight and by extension the amount of solar power you generate. At some places as much as a vertical tilt of the panels is needed to get the maximum output during wintertime. And yet i have a solar panel system that still provides some electricity in the dark winter months. During winter the sun is lower and to catch more of its light the best solar panel angle would be more tilted.

The same latitude of 35 would have a tilt angle of 59 6 for winter and 7 1 for summer. For a precise method use the second formula on this page to calculate tilt angle. The optimum tilt angle is calculated by adding 15 degrees to your latitude during winter and subtracting 15 degrees from your latitude during summer. I live in buffalo new york.

The summer optimum tilt angle on the other hand will be 34 15 19. This is about 10 more or less from the readings obtained using the first method. However installing panels at angles of around 15 degrees or less can backfire as snow won t easily fall off of your array. To get maximum energy efficiency during the winter solstice the solar panels in chicago must face south and be tilted 65 90 25.

For instance if your latitude is 34 the optimum tilt angle for your solar panels during winter will be 34 15 49. Some years it seems like winter lasts for nine months. There s a simple rule of thumb for calculating the best tilt angle for fixed mount solar panels.