The orientation and alignment of solar panels is as important as the selection. How much solar power is generated from the solar panels is not only dependent on the efficiency of the solar cells but also on how the solar panels are aligned to capture the energy of the sun.A solar panel harnesses maximum energy when the solar irradiation hits the panels surface perpendicularly. So to ensure maximum energy yield from a solar system, it is necessary to place the solar panels in the correct direction at an appropriate tilt.
Direction and Angle of Orientation
The thumb-rule says that the solar system should face the true south for site locations in the northern hemisphere and true north for site locations in the southern hemisphere. Usually this is the ideal direction as the solar irradiation will be available to the system throughout the day. However it is to be understood that there is a difference between true south and magnetic south.
The magnetic south is defined by a magnetic compass pointing to the magnetic south poles. Solar panels, however need to be oriented towards the geographical south pole. This is the reasoning behind true south orientation of solar systems for Northern hemisphere and true north orientation for southern hemisphere.
The conventional intelligence suggests that solar systems should be facing opposite poles in either hemispheres. However studies suggest that this might not be always right. It has been observed that solar panels oriented in the south-western direction may well produce higher output as compared to true south aligned solar panels for solar systems installed in the northern hemisphere.
Another very important consideration while installation of solar panels is the mounting angle. The mounting angle to produce most yield out of solar panels should be equivalent to the geographical latitude. So, the nearer the solar system to the equator, lower the tilt angle.
Multi-Axis Tracking
The best way to harness maximum energy from the sun is to make the solar systems to follow the sun’s path through the day, also factoring the changes with change in seasons. This is called Multi-axis tracking. As the solar technology is becoming more prominent and the size of the solar systems are increasing, this technology is gaining importance.
So, as it turns out, a lot of consideration have to be made to ensure maximum output from the solar systems. So it is ideal to get professional help from an experienced EPC partner to ensure that the solar panels are installed in the most optimum way.
About LUBI Electronics
LUBI Electronics is a leading company in India, exhibiting expertise in the automation, solar, and control panel industry.
Our solar offerings include best-in-class solar modules, solar pumps, solar pump controllers and solar inverters.
For more information on our offerings, please reach out to us at lubi@lubielectronics.com.