Best Roof Angle For Solar Panels

Overall the angle of your rooftop has less impact on solar panel performance than the direction your roof faces.

Best roof angle for solar panels.

In case the roof is very steep you may not be able to get the most optimal tilt angle for the panel especially if it is lower than the angle of the roof. Since solar panels are more productive when the sun s rays are perpendicular to their surfaces the certainly best orientation is the one directly true south azimuth angle 180. If you are trying to install solar panels on a steep roof it may not be possible to place panels at the optimal tilt with traditional racking systems. On the contrary in the countries of the southern hemisphere such as south africa and australia the best orientation is true north.

However pitch angles between 30 and 45 degrees will work well in most situations. Many roofs are going to have slopes between 30 and 40 degrees which means that solar panels can lie flush against the roof and produce enough electricity for attractive returns. At this level the solar panel can lie flat on the roof and get enough sunlight to produce enough electricity. For los angeles a solar panel tilt of 19 degrees works the best.

Each situation is unique in terms of roof angle property layout and power consumption. Ideally a fixed roof mounted solar energy system should be at an angle that is equal to the latitude of the location where it is installed. For instance in the san francisco bay area the best solar panel tilt angle is between 22 23 degrees.