A typical two storey house roof in the uk ha a roof elevation of around 30º 40º although there are exceptions.
Best angle for solar panels uk.
In the uk the optimum roof pitch for solar panels is 30 to 40 degrees.
Therefore in london which has a latitude of around 51 degrees solar panels should ideally be mounted at an angle of approximately 65 degrees.
The optimum tilt angle is calculated by adding 15 degrees to your latitude during winter and subtracting 15 degrees from your latitude during summer.
Since solar panels are more productive when the sun s rays are perpendicular to their surfaces the certainly best orientation is the one directly true south azimuth angle 180.
So let s just say that you really don t want your panels being shaded.
Orientation of the panels.
This is due to the fact that the angle of the sun is 50 to 60 degrees which when combined with a 30 to 40 degree roof pitch creates a 90 degree angle.
In the far north of scotland your panels would perform better if your roof angle was 40 degrees.
To lean toward more production in the winter tilt your panels at your latitude plus 10 15.
For the far south of england the optimal roof angle would be closer to 30 degrees.
For instance if your latitude is 34 the optimum tilt angle for your solar panels during winter will be 34 15 49.
At the summer solstice in june the sun reaches an angle of 61 9 degrees at solar noon in london.
The optimum angle varies throughout the year depending on the seasons and your location and this calculator shows the difference in sun height on a month by month.
To lean toward more production in the summer tilt your panels at your latitude minus 10 15.
Providing the highest level of solar radiation.
To optimize overall production year round tilt your panels at your latitude.
This is because the sun is always in the southern half of the sky in the northern hemisphere.
For the best results solar panels should be oriented towards the south.
That s as high as it ever gets.
The summer optimum tilt angle on the other hand will be 34 15 19.
Similarly in the southern hemisphere solar panels should face to the north.
Pv panels output will drop off beyond these figures.
Shade will also affect your output regardless of the orientation or elevation.
To get the best out of your photovoltaic panels you need to angle them towards the sun.
This solar angle calculator tells you the optimum angle to get the best out of your system.
These figures are only really suitable for the uk and then there is some variation across the country.
In the northern hemisphere solar panels should face to the south where the sun is found at midday.
On the contrary in the countries of the southern hemisphere such as south africa and australia the best orientation is true north.
