Are Solar Panels Facing the Wrong Direction?
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It looks like many are!
Are Solar Panels Facing the Wrong Direction?
New study finds that west-facing panels are far superior for cutting peak demand.
(www.greentechmedia.com)
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Interesting find Mike.
I'm trying to clarify whether there is a degree of misinformation here. From the end user's perspective they want the best return on investment and to that end I would have thought south facing and pitched to suit the latitude was the most efficient. I can see how moving the panels to generate more power later in the day may help meet peak demand, but if the output / return from the panels is reduced then that won't suit the end user without some differentiating commercial incentive. At the extreme if the panels were off grid with battery storage, then what alignment would you choose? With the development in automotive batteries I know which I would opt for.
The following applies to the UK...
http://www.bio-linknetworking.co.uk/assets/documents/pitch-graph.jpg -
Yes I agree. It must depend on whether or not the system is connected to the grid.
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Yes I think the article is really aimed a grid tie systems concentrating on peak demand. I don't think their intention was to have solo users change their orientation.
Nice reference to Lemmings in the article you posted wind-borne. You see a lot of this in the skim reader viral society we seem to live in now. -
We just finished a solar array for a customer. He had bought a Tesla model S car and wanted it to charge the car. After he made change after change it ended up being big enough to power his whole house! It is pointed south lol.
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