ELI5, how is it decided how solar panels are installed?

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Solar panels are always installed at a tilt, right? Is the direction of the tilt arbitrary or are longitude and latitude and all that taken into account?

In: Technology

2 Answers

Anonymous 0 Comments

Latitude is the dominate factor. Solar panels are most efficient when installed perpendicular to incoming sunlight. This is determined by latitude.

Other variables include time-of-day and date-of-year but these are not accommodated unless you have a tracking array.

Anonymous 0 Comments

Solar panels are tilted because in thenorthern hemisphere sun is at the south (it moves from east to west – but always on the south side of the sky), by tilting the solar panel towards the sun (to the south) you increase energy generation.