What is the Best Direction and Tilt Angle for Solar Panels?

Whenever a solar system installation happens, the most crucial question that intrigues much concern is ” What is the best direction and tilt angle for solar panel installation?”

The straightforward answer is that the south-facing solar panels will work best for a large number of houses. Don’t worry if your roof isn’t south-facing! Your solar panels will continue to generate energy if you know how a solar panel works.

In this post, you will discover the ideal solar panel direction and tilt angle to maximize solar output, as well as how facing your solar panels in a different direction can impact your solar system performance.

You may find it interesting how important is to do regular solar panel cleaning,

What is the Tilt Angle for Solar Panels in Pakistan?

Pakistan’s tilt angle, or elevation angle, ranges from 23 to 37 degrees. To calculate the tilt angle, the usual rule is to match the tilt angle to the installation location’s latitude.

That is the scientific methodology. In actuality, though, we install our systems throughout Pakistan between 20 and 26 degrees.

This is because Pakistan experiences a severe energy crisis in the summer, therefore lowering the angle by 5–10 degrees will allow you to maximize the system’s performance during that time.

Best solar panel direction overall

In general, facing south is the most effective direction for solar panels. In almost all cases, pointing your panels south rather than in another direction will result in the maximum solar power generation.

Hence it will lead you towards the highest electricity bill savings and the shortest payback period. South-facing panels offer greater profitability for the following reasons:

• They produce more solar energy.
• They allow you to receive the maximum benefit from net metering.
• They enable improved solar battery usage.

Let’s explore each of the given reasons in further depth below.

South is best for maximizing solar panel output

In Pakistan, solar panels provide the most power while facing south. The sun’s path indicates that it shines above or around the equator. Its course never goes north of the Tropic of Cancer (23.4°N latitude).

When you maintain your solar panels oriented south, they are practically facing the sun all year, receiving as much sunlight as possible.

South Facing Panels Installation is Best for Net Metering Homes 

If you live in an area with net metering, the ideal direction for your solar panels is south. Solar panels facing south generate a lot of power, with most of it produced around midday.

While household energy usage is often lowest around that time, you will have plenty of excess solar electricity. When you have net metering, surplus power is beneficial since you can export it to the grid in exchange for a hefty payment from your utility.

South is best with solar batteries

If you plan to design a battery storage system like the tall tubular or lithium-ion batteries, south-facing panels are the best option.

South-facing panels have a higher power output, which means they can offer enough electricity to charge your solar batteries after fulfilling your home’s daily energy consumption.

The power saved in your solar battery will come in handy later, supplying energy to your home at night when your panels aren’t producing it and providing backup power in the event of a grid outage.

South to southwest is best for Time of Use (TOU) rates

If your utility uses TOU billing, the ideal orientation for your solar panels is south to southwest.

Where TOU billing is in operation, utilities charge higher rates for electricity at specific hours, commonly as peak rates, beginning at 4 p.m.

Because grid power becomes more expensive later in the day under TOU, any solar power you can create for yourself during those hours gains value.

You may boost your solar power production in the afternoons and nights by facing your solar panels southwest, where they will receive more light from the settling sun.

What about the compromise in this case? Southwest-facing solar panels generate less solar power overall during the day as compared to the south-facing panels.

Should you direct your solar panels southwest if you have TOU billing rates? A top solar company research project, a solar software creator, revealed a case study on the subject, and their findings were as follows:

Peak electricity rates are twice as high (2x) as off-peak rates, hence the best solar panel orientation is extremely close to the south.

If peak rates are 3x or more than off-peak rates, solar panels should face southwest. When peak electricity rates are twice that of normal rates, the optimal direction is quite near to the south (see left-most image).

However, as peak rates reach 3x or 4x, the optimal orientation shifts to the southwest. A solar installer can determine the best orientation for solar panels on your roof depending on the TOU billing rates in your area.

Since everyone has to decide what to do with what they have, it’s possible that you won’t be able to arrange your solar panels in the way that you would like. 

 So, would a solar panel installation still be worthwhile for you? The simplest method to find out is to use an online solar calculator or preferably ask for a solar survey by an expert solar installer of good repute in your location.

This is the right way to predict your solar panel expenditures and savings depending on your roof’s orientation and your utility’s TOU billing rates.

How much does solar panel direction impact output?

In Pakistan, placing solar panels true south (azimuth of 180 degrees solar noon) will yield the most solar energy production. If you face them in any other way (direction), the output of your solar panels will decrease. However, it is worth noting that if we overlook solar panel maintenance, it will further boost solar output losses.

When you face solar panels away from the actual south, they produce less solar power. The extent of the production reduction will be determined by the direction the solar panels are pointing.

Solar panel direction	Achievable output*	Change
Southwest or southeast	92%	-8%
East or west	85%	-15%
North	70%	-30%

*In comparison to south-facing solar panels, the statistics are simply general estimations.

When it comes to solar panels, the optimum direction is south. The table depicts estimated values for output losses caused by pointing your panels in a direction other than south.

Panels facing southwest or southeast 

Solar panels installed on a southwest or southeast-facing roof produce around 8% less power than panels installed on a south-facing roof in the same region.

Panels facing east and west 

Panels set on a typical pitch roof facing east or west will generate about 15% less output than panels facing south at the same pitch.

Panels facing north 

Panels on a typical pitch roof facing north (away from the sun) will produce around 30% less than panels facing south.

The Impact of direction on solar panel efficiency

Turning solar panels away from the true south will often result in output losses of less than 30%, but in severe scenarios, losses of up to 60% may occur.

The following three factors affect the precise decline in energy production:

• Distance from the south: The number of degrees that the panels are turned away from the real south.
• Your latitude: How far north your house is located.
• The pitch of your roof: This decides how your solar panels will be positioned toward the Sun.

Distance from south 

To put it simply, the generation of energy is lost proportionately to the degree of shift away from the south. Turning southwest will result in a slight drop, turning west in a considerable drop, and turning north in the largest drop.

Latitude 

In terms of latitude, the decrease in energy production when turning away from the south is greater the further north you are.

For example, the sun is higher in the sky in the countries with lower latitudes. Solar PV panels in these states need to be angled downward to receive direct sunlight.

In contrast, the sun is lower in the sky in states with higher latitudes. To maximize sunshine exposure in certain states, solar photovoltaic panels ought to be positioned at higher tilt angles.

Roof pitch 

There isn’t much of a difference between solar panels installed on a steep (45-degree) roof and a shallow (15-degree) roof when comparing the output generated over a year.

This is because the various pitches will eventually equal out over the seasons. While solar panels on a steep roof will generate more power in the winter, solar panels on a shallow roof will capture more sunlight in the summer.

While solar panel trackers allow you to maintain your panels at the ideal solar angle in Pakistan all the time, in most situations the prices and complexities associated are not worth it.

However, if your solar panels face away from the south, the output loss will be greater the steeper your roof is.

Turning solar panels from south to north, for example, would result in a 16% loss on a roof with a pitch of 2/12 (9.5*) in Charlotte, NC; a roof in the same area with a steeper pitch of 4/12 (18.4) would see a far larger reduction of 29%.

What if your roof doesn’t face south?

For optimal efficiency, your rooftop solar energy system should ideally face south, with the two exceptions listed above. Naturally, this isn’t always feasible because a lot of houses don’t have roofs that face that way!

Fortunately, this does not have to be a deal-breaker. Many households with solar panels installed with no south-facing roof are saving a significant amount of money on their electricity costs.

For those without roofs facing south, here are 3 alternate options:

1. Install solar panels on your roof anyway  

Installing additional solar panels will help you make up for the reduced amount of sunlight.

You should be able to add a few extra panels without significantly increasing costs because the solar panels themselves only make up a small fraction of the total cost of a solar panel installation.

When a portion of the roof does not face south, this is the option that most homeowners select.

2. Install a solar array on the ground 

In your yard, you can also build a solar power system that is fixed on the ground.

By positioning ground-mounted solar panels for the best solar angle and direction in Pakistan, you can maximize the amount of solar power they produce.

Additionally, they require less maintenance because you can remove snow and leaves without getting up on your roof.

The drawback? In addition to taking up a lot of room on your property, ground-mounted solar systems are typically more expensive than rooftop solar panels.

They are also very likely to be damaged by the accident or the intention of your haters.

3. Utilize solar panel trackers 

You can consider solar panel tracking systems if your budget permits. By guaranteeing consistent, direct solar exposure throughout the day and across the seasons, they can increase a system’s production.

Axis trackers take up roughly the same amount of area as fixed systems, but they produce more electricity.

It’s crucial to remember that solar trackers are pricey, though. After incentives, the cost of a normal 4 kW solar panel system lies approximately several lacs.

However, an equivalent axis-tracking system, such as the Smartflower, costs approximately twice as much.

Does solar panel angle matter?

To achieve the highest production percentage, it’s crucial to face your panels in a specific direction, but what about the angle at which they’re positioned?

The inclination angle of solar panels has an impact on their performance. You would need to modify the angle depending on the latitude and season in order to get the most power out of a photovoltaic system.

Real-world scenarios frequently involve set roof angles, meaning that tilting or adjusting the solar systems is not an option.

In order to meet the different roof pitches found on residences, solar systems are built over a range of tilt angles, thereby saving homeowners money.

In summary, achieving the ideal solar panel angle can boost output, but failing to do so won’t always be fatal.

Seasonal Optimal Tilt Angle Adjustments for Maximum Solar Output

To get a little bit more production out of your solar arrays, you can modify the angle a few times a year if your mount is adjustable and you don’t mind manually tilting your panels.

It should be noted that this isn’t a very typical decision. To avoid ever having to make adjustments, the majority of the customers or solar prospects typically size their systems with a 5–10% production cushion.

The locations with a lot of snow are the main exception. Pole mounts are a much better option if snow will build on your panels.

In order to increase production and remove snow from the panels’ faces, you can tilt them more steeply in the winter.

Here is the recommended plan for adjusting the tilt of your solar panels if you can do so a few times a year:

• Spring: Adjust the panels to your latitude in the spring.
• Summer: Adjust the panels to minus 15° from your latitude.
• Fall: Adjust the panels’ latitude.
• Winter: Adjust the panels’ tilt to 15° above your latitude.

These are simply suggestions; you can achieve greater outcomes by tailoring your timetable of adjustments to your particular area. For additional information, visit solarpaneltilt.com, an outdated but still wonderful resource that goes into great length about tilting your panels to get the most output.

Let’s discover the top solar panel benefits for homeowners.

Final Verdict

To sum up, while pointing your solar panels south is great for getting the most out of them, it’s good to know that there are other ways to tap into solar power, even if your roof doesn’t face south.

Working with a reliable solar installer and considering different options can still bring you big savings and eco-friendly advantages from your solar setup, no matter which way your roof points.

So, don’t stress about the direction your roof faces – solar energy can still be a win-win for you!

FAQs:

What is the best direction for solar panels?

In general, facing south is the most effective direction for solar panels, as it results in the highest electricity bill savings and the shortest payback period.

How does the direction of solar panels impact their performance?

Solar panels facing south produce the most power throughout the day, while panels facing other directions may experience reduced output due to less exposure to sunlight.

What is the best tilt angle for solar panels in Lahore?

In Lahore, the proper tilt angle for installing solar panels is 31 degrees. Panels are often installed at a 30-degree angle, which is suitable for year-round energy optimization. Installing them 10 degrees plus or negative will also maximize energy production in the summer and winter.

What is the best tilt angle for solar panel installation in Karachi?

The suggested tilt angle for solar panels in Karachi would be roughly 24.9 degrees because the city is located at a latitude of about 24.9 degrees.

What is the Perfect tilt angle for solar panel installation in Islamabad?

Islamabad is located at a latitude of roughly 33.6 degrees, making this the ideal tilt angle for solar panels in the city. With this angle, the panels can maximize energy production and efficiently capture sunlight all year round. Plus-minus is a useful tool for maximizing energy production in particular seasons.

What is the ideal tilt angle for solar panels in Peshawar?

In Peshawar, a tilt angle of 34 degrees would be ideal for solar panels. For the best energy output in the summer and winter, you can adjust the temperature by 10 degrees.

Which direction is perfect for solar panel installation in Pakistan?

In Pakistan, facing south is usually the best orientation for solar panels, corresponding to an azimuth angle of about 180 degrees.

Pakistan lies in the northern hemisphere, therefore orienting the solar panels southward will maximize their daily exposure to sunshine.

The most sunlight is captured and the most energy is produced by panels pointing south.

What if my roof doesn’t face south?

If your roof doesn’t face south, you can still install solar panels and generate significant energy savings. Options include installing additional panels, utilizing ground-mounted systems, or investing in solar panel trackers.

Does the angle of solar panels matter?

Yes, the angle of solar panels can impact their performance, but in real-world scenarios where roof angles are fixed, variations in tilt angle may not significantly affect overall energy production.

How can I determine the best solar panel direction for my home?

A solar installer can assess your roof orientation and local conditions to determine the optimal direction for your solar panels, maximizing energy production and savings based on your specific circumstances.