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Location and Orientation of Solar Power Systems

Local conditions and landscape

The location and orientation of the collectors and their tilt are very important factors in their performance.

But the optimal orientation and location isn’t just a question of south, north and latitudes. It’s also a question of local weather conditions – eventual foggy mornings or cloudy afternoons, for instance – and a question of factors that might shade the collectors (other buildings, trees…). If the sun is blocked and doesn’t reach the solar panels time enough, all the performance of the system will be affected.

You should study and take into account your particular landscape and also your local weather conditions, before orienting and locating the collectors.

Optimal Solar collector orientation

Solar collectors should be oriented to maximize the solar energy that they receive. In most cases the optimal orientation is true south (in the northern hemisphere) or true north (in southern hemisphere countries). This position shouldn’t be viewed very strictly: recent investigations prove that collectors can face up to 90º east or west of that position without significant underperformance.

In other words: local weather conditions and landscape particularities (or even aesthetical ones) may justify a collector’s orientation different of the theoretic best position (true south, in the Northern hemisphere or true north in the Southern hemisphere).

Collectors tilt and their location on the roof

The optimal tilt angle for a solar collector is an angle equal to the latitude of the place where it is located, though most solar collectors have the same tilt as the roof (collectors are mounted flat on the roof). This turns the system much more aesthetical without affecting significantly its performance.

However, a substantial increasing of decreasing the vertical angle of the collector relatively to the sun may indeed reduce or increase the heat output of the collector. There are inclusively cases where changing the angle is a mean of decreasing the excess heat generated by the panels in the summer (cases when the systems are oversized). See: Sizing the solar system.

Location of the solar panels

Obviously, collectors are often located out of the roof: some solar rooms heating collectors are often located on south facing walls, and most of the swimming pool heating panels are also located elsewhere. Roof is just a functional and aesthetic location for solar collectors. The most important is the orientation of the collector, its tilt and the landscape and local weather conditions that may affect the optimal position and determine another orientation or location…