Best Direction For Solar Panels

The most optimum direction to face your solar panels is somewhere between south and west.

Best direction for solar panels.

Now a compass tells you magnetic north and south but it does not show you true north and south. Solar panels should face south for any home in america to obtain maximum power generation. Generally it s common knowledge in the solar industry that these south facing panels should be tilted between a 30 and 40 degree angle. This being the case the general best practice to date has always been to position solar panels facing south in order to capture the maximum amount of sunlight overall.

However solar panels can be orientated on any roof that faces south of either east or west. Therefore directions like southwest or southeast are fine. For the best results solar panels should be oriented towards the south. 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.

There is a difference. If your roof does not face the right direction then surface mounted panels or pole mounted panels may be your best bet. This is so that you can expose your solar panels to as much light as possible to optimize their energy production. The rule is that if you live in the southern hemisphere you should point your panels true north and if you live in the northern hemisphere you should point them true south.