East or West Facing Solar panels? What to do When North is Not an Option?

Installing solar panels is surely a good idea to get rid of increased energy costs and to generate as much power as you want based on the size of your solar system. However, installation isn’t the only thing required to get the job done for you. Rather, you have to take into account other factors as well to see whether your solar system works efficiently or not. Specifying the area to install the panels is the very first thing to be taken care of. 

Moreover, the location of panels is another thing that decides the power output of your system. If there are fewer sun hours per day in your area or at the top of your house, there will be less generation of electricity. The same is the case if there is any kind of shade near the panels that don’t let the sunshine reach the panels. 

So, in order to take care of the efficiency of your panels, you must be aware of every single thing associated with the system. One such thing that matters the most either you are in Sydney, Hobart or Perth is the direction of panels. Let’s take a look at the best direction available for solar panels to perform effectively.

Suitable Direction for Solar Panels

In Australia, it is assumed that the panels facing the East or West direction are the most efficient ones as the sunlight in these directions reaches panels as much as required. However, heat isn’t the only thing required for the panels to perform well. Temperature also plays a key role because these panels work well in cooler environments. As the temperature starts to increase, the efficiency starts going down as a result of which lesser electricity is generated. 

As far as the time slots are concerned, West-facing panels generate more electricity in the latter part of the day while East-facing panels do it in the first half of the day. So, it all depends upon how the panels are oriented and whether you’re monitoring the panels or not.

      

What to do When North is Not an Option?

Despite the fact that North-facing panels generate lesser power as compared to the panels facing East or West, the North direction also provides favorable conditions at some points. However, when North is not an option, you must go for the other two directions. 

Sometimes, there are clouds out there which make it difficult for the panels to work. In such a case, the batteries must have stored enough energy already in order to keep things going because the weather in Australia is quite unpredictable. So, just keep in mind the right orientation and install the panels correctly to get the most out of them.

Want to talk to Australia’s most trusted Solar retailer?

At AusPac Solar, we think it’s important to provide our customers with the highest quality solar installations and electrical work that come with the promise of ongoing servicing and Solar Maintenance support.

If you would like to discuss any of the points above or you are just wanting to engage with a genuine, customer-focused solar company that will deliver a solar installation at a fair and reasonable price, give our friendly team a call on 1300 197 237 or contact us here and one of our solar experts will be in touch.