Solar Roof Pitch

Photovoltaics produce power when the angle at which the sun s rays hit the panel surface the angle of incidence is small or when light strikes the panel as close to perpendicular as possible.

Solar roof pitch.

There are several factors in your control when it comes to finding the ideal pitch for your solar panels. South roofs will net you the greatest performance from a solar electric system regardless of roof pitch. More notably the roof pitch does not make much of a difference in energy produced. 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.

A solar array can be mounted somewhere other than a home s roof it can be installed on a shade free area of the ground or on the roof or wall of another building such as a garage or shed. Roof design you will most likely be installing the solar panels on your roof which is why you have to take into account the roof pitch too. Whether you have a relatively flat 3 in 12 roof or a steep for southwest florida 7 in 12 pitch roof the energy production will be about the same. However pitch angles between 30 and 45 degrees will work well in most situations.

In order to collect energy more efficiently solar panels should be angled to face as close to the sun as possible. This is a good option if the house roof cannot support the panels or there is a building with a better roof angle. Solar contractors recommend using the latitude of your home s location as the degree of tilt. For example the latitude of los angeles california is 34 degrees so the tilt of your solar panels would be 34 degrees.

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