In order to collect energy more efficiently solar panels should be angled to face as close to the sun as possible.
Is my house south facing for solar panels.
Ideally they should face true south which is a slightly different direction from the magnetic south you would find with a compass.
However the economics of installing solar panels on a roof that does not face the south still usually stack up for the homeowner.
Well when it comes to solar panels west is second best.
Most solar arrays are installed at a tilt.
Solar pv panels are most effective on a broad south facing roof at least in the northern hemisphere.
This is because for those of us living in the northern hemisphere the sun is always along the southern part of the sky as we complete our yearly orbit around it.
But what if you don t have a suitable south facing roof.
In the northern hemisphere the sun crosses the sky a little to the south which means putting solar panels on a south facing roof is the best way for homeowners to capture the most solar energy.
An easy way to find out if your roof and thus your property is good for solar is to look it up on google maps.
And when it comes to orienting solar panels most people will simply choose the south which the compass points to.
Go west young one.