The best angle for your solar panels will depend upon your location and when you
want your solar panels to be most efficient. At solar noon, which is exactly halfway
between sunrise and sunset, the energy from the sun is at its greatest so the solar
panels should be positioned to take advantage of this time.
At solar noon in the UK, the sun is due south, which is why solar panels are nor-
mally installed on south facing walls or roofs. It varies across the UK, in London in
June it is typically around forty degrees off vertical, but this will be different in other
cities. In Manchester, it is nearer to thirty five degrees.
So when do I need to angle my solar panel?
The angle of the sun in the sky depends on both the season and your location on
the earth. In winter the sun is lower in the sky, in summer the sun is higher in the
sky, and the closer you live to the equator (i.e. the lower your latitude), the higher
the sun is in the sky all year round.So you may think that calculating the optimum
angle for the panels is going to be really complicated… Luckily it is actually very
simple, take a look at the example provided.
Does the amount of
tilt matter?
Yes – the tilt of your solar
panels will affect how much
power they produce because
the tilt will affect how much
sunlight you capture.
Consider a solar panel flat on the ground that is 1m wide.
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