Pick one angle and leave it alone or adjust the tilt a few times per year to optimize seasonal production.
Solar panel tilt calculator.
Finding the optimal tilt for your solar panels.
Most solar arrays are installed at a tilt.
If you cannot change the angle of your panel throughout the year angle your panel according to the time of year that you need to get the best performance out of your system.
Depending on where you live the best angle at which you should install solar panels will change.
Select a location from the city pulldown menu or select enter lat long from the pulldown menu and manually enter the latitude longitude and time zone information in the appropriate text boxes.
The ideal angle for your solar panels can vary depending on your solar objectives.
For example if you are seeking to maximise solar generation during winter months be it for an off grid system or higher energy consumption levels you would ideally want to angle your panels at a greater tilt for maximum exposure to the low winter sun.
For even more precise angling you would need to track the sun as it moves throughout the day on a minute by minute basis.
If you can change the angle multiple times a year you may get great output throughout the year.
Depending on your preference here s our advice.
Calculating the optimal solar panel angle.
Adjustable x4 for maximal efficiency.
Here two simple methods for calculating approximate solar panel angle according to your latitude.
The other half of the equation is finding the vertical angle or tilt of your solar panels.
Solar panel angle calculator.
The calculator shows the degrees from vertical.
If your solar panels will have a fixed tilt angle and you want to get the most energy over the whole year then this section is for you.
You have a couple options here.
This is because it s based on the average position of the sun over your property.
The optimal angle for your solar panels 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 basis.
Optimum angle differs during winter months.
As a rule of thumb solar panels should be more vertical during winter to gain most of the low winter sun and more tilted during summer to maximize the output.
For this calculator latitude is positive to the north and longitude is positive to the west of the prime meridian.
The calculator will then show the optimum angle for the solar panel.
Therefore the optimal solar panel tilt may change with the seasons.
The solar panel tilt also depends on when you want the panels to produce the most energy.
The violet line is the solar energy per day if the panel is fixed at the winter angle discussed below these figures are calculated for 40 latitude.
