Rules Of Thumb For Designing Solar Panel Power System

The rules of thumb in the solar industry are that the panels should face toward the equator and be mounted at an angle of inclination angle between the ground and the panel equal to the degree latitude of the installation site.

Rules of thumb for designing solar panel power system.

Historically modules were tilted at or near the latitude of the project s location. Often when designing a power system people are tempted to start at the generation source i e. This orientation optimizes for the sun angles throughout the year pointing the modules as close as possible to the sun s average position in the sky. 2 know how much available roof space sq ft you have.

This usually equates as a fixed mounting to an alignment of around latitude or 15 degrees. In summer you can leave them up high and the longer daylight hours will make up for not optimizing tilt. When designing a system the first things a professional designer will consider will be the sunlight levels for your area insolation and your total power requirement. Historical design rules varied greatly by latitude.

This is fine if you are going for a top down system and will only load to the available capacity. A small pv system could reduce your electricity needs enough to move you to a different tier lowering your rates and saving you a large amount of money. Here in seattle that would mean the panels face due south and they are mounted at an angle of inclination of 47 5. The optimum performance of a photovoltaic panel is obtained when it s correctly aligned to the sun when the sun is directly overhead.