On the other hand if you live in the southern hemisphere you can use this same technique.
Which direction is a solar panel face.
Since the sun rises in the east solar panels facing in that direction are more productive in the morning.
The direction solar panels should face is true south a k a.
Solar panels however need to face solar or geographic south which is the direction towards the south pole.
It is at this location that your panels will receive the maximum sunlight throughout the day.
To correct the compass reading your solar installer will calculate the magnetic declination of your site.
If your roof does not face the right direction then surface mounted panels or pole mounted panels may be your best bet.
For the best results solar panels should be oriented towards the south.
This is because the sun is always in the southern half of the sky in the northern hemisphere.
Apart from how much power each panel can produce how many panels you ll need what size and how well they ll work with your rooftop you ll also want to consider the best direction for solar panels to face.
Other technological advancements for solar panel direction.
The most optimum direction to face your solar panels is somewhere between south and west.
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.
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.
As you might have guessed the direction your panels face can be a major factor in how much energy your rooftop solar system produces.
Solar south or geographic south.
True south can also be calculated at noon when shadows from vertical objects run north south.
However you would want to face your solar panels in the opposite direction of where your shadows face.
Which way should my solar panels be facing.
Installing panels that face north is not recommended since it results in the lowest electricity output.
Researchers are working on ways for solar panels to achieve maximum energy output without difficult and or costly manual adjustments.
This is the direction your solar panels should face.
This is a simple tried and true way to.
Five or six years ago the question of which direction solar panels should face was easy.
On the other hand west facing panels are more productive in the afternoon since the sun sets in that direction.
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.
Watch this interesting video on how robots pivot solar panels to face the sun.
Here are some of the more promising developments.
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.