Roof Slope For Solar Panels

The angle of your roof actually has less impact on solar panel performance than the direction your solar energy system faces.

Roof slope for solar panels. Solar contractors recommend using the latitude of your home s location as the degree of tilt. There are several factors in your control when it comes to finding the ideal pitch for your solar panels. Where panels cover more than 33 of the roof a 36 in wide path is required on both sides of the ridge. Away from a horizontal ridge on both sides to create the 36 in wide path.

For example the latitude of los angeles california is 34 degrees so the tilt of your solar panels would be 34 degrees. Optimal electricity production occurs when solar panels face south at a tilt equal to 30. For roofs where pv panels cover up to 33 of the total area in plan view essentially as seen from above the panels must be at least 18 in. However the panels can be installed anywhere between 10 to 35 deg with negligible efficiency loss.

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. The orientation of the panels and the angle they are tilted will have a greater effect on annual energy production. At 30 the energy drops to 1 260kwh m2 year a reduction of just 0 4. Most australian homes have a roof pitch of 20 to 30 which is considered optimum for maximizing solar power generation.

However even if you lower the tilt of your roof all the way down to 5 production only decreases by about 10 percent.