Even with this decrease in performance solar panels will produce enough electricity to save you hundreds of dollars a year.
Solar panels south west facing roof.
Is it still worth investigating solar panels.
What if your roof faces straight west.
For years homeowners who bought solar panels were advised to mount them on the roof facing south.
This is especially true if you partake in nv energy s time of use tou plan which charges much more for energy between 2 and 7 pm when the sun is in the western sky.
Do you have to have a south facing roof to have solar panels.
In sydney south facing solar panels will typically produce around 28 less energy than north facing panels and the steeper the roof the less electricity they will produce.
How solar can help avoid peak demand.
In contrast a north southern hemisphere facing roof gets sunshine from dawn to dusk.
Solar panels perform at their best when the sun is shining straight on to the panels.
In the uk south facing panels will generate more than other orientations.
In winter when the sun is at an angle less than the pitch of the roof the panels will receive no sunlight.
The simple answer to these is yes but read on for the facts and figures.
On a south facing roof the panels produce energy when the sun is high in the sky but as the evening sets in that production decreases.
Within the solar industry it s common knowledge that the optimal orientation of solar photovoltaic pv panels in the northern hemisphere is typically south to maximize electricity production over the life of the system.
If the panels face west instead they get more energy during the afternoon an evening.
But in the far north the difference is not so great and in townsville south facing solar panels will only produce around 17 less electricity in total than north facing ones.
When the sun shines onto the surface at an angle the.
Solar panels work best when they re directly facing the sun and the sun sheds the most light during the middle of the day when it s to the north of australia.
The conventional wisdom says no solar should never be installed on a south facing roof.
Why orientation matters with rooftop solar.
Recently however there has been much discussion and even incentives being offered for orienting pv systems west.
And can the feed in tariff still pay enough to be worth it.
Generally any panels that aren t south facing should face west because the available sun at sunset is more valuable to the grid.