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Which direction should my solar panels be facing?
The answer to this question is pretty simple:
The ideal direction to point your solar panels in Australia is: North.
This is because the sun rises in the East then moves North until midday when it heads West to set.
If your roof faces N, then that's great. Stick your panels on that roof section.
What if your roof faces NE or NW?
If your roof is NE, or NW, you will only lose 3%-4% of your power due to not being directly North, so no big deal.
What if your roof faces E or W?
If your roof is facing East or West then you will probably lose 15%-20% of your power. So you may want to consider if it is still worth going ahead.
Another thing to consider with East or West facing roof sections is that the pitch of the roof actually becomes more critical. For this reason, do not install on East or West facing roof sections unless your installer has done a proper survey with the proper tool that scientifically calculates how much power you will get based on angle of roof and direction of roof.
This link explains the process. (The blog post talks about doing this if you have shading issues – but you should do the same analysis if your roof is not North facing too).
Once your installer has done these calculations (and will put them in writing and stand by them) only then will you have the numbers to decide if it is worth going ahead.
What if your roof faces S, SE or SW?
If your installer suggests installing on a roof section that is pointing southwards, then run a mile. Ninety nine percent of the time it is just not worth it. Solar needs sun, and south facing panels don't get much sun! It really is that simple.
