{"id":58108,"date":"2022-02-07T11:02:16","date_gmt":"2022-02-07T00:32:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/?p=58108"},"modified":"2024-08-20T11:18:34","modified_gmt":"2024-08-20T01:48:34","slug":"south-facing-solar-panels","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/south-facing-solar-panels\/","title":{"rendered":"Solar Panels On A South Facing Roof Can Pay Anywhere In Australia"},"content":{"rendered":"<div><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-58713 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/south-facing-panels.jpg\" alt=\"South facing panels - worth it in Australia\" width=\"1200\" height=\"628\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/south-facing-panels.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/south-facing-panels-300x157.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/south-facing-panels-1024x536.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/south-facing-panels-768x402.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\" \/><\/div>\r\n<p><strong>TLDR: Can you put solar panels facing south in Australia? Hell yeah!<\/strong><\/p>\r\n<p>In 2010, when Australian rooftop solar power really started to take off, nearly every Australian solar system faced north to maximise energy yield.\u00a0 But today, on an unshaded roof, panels facing any direction can pay for themselves.\u00a0 This includes the &#8216;worst&#8217; direction: south.<!--more--><\/p>\r\n<p>In 2022, solar panels are over 80% cheaper than in 2010, and south-facing solar can be worthwhile.\u00a0 If your main goal is to maximise solar generation, that&#8217;s all you really need to know.\u00a0 You can stop reading and cover your entire roof with solar panels.\u00a0<\/p>\r\n<p>But you may prefer to weigh up the pros and cons before investing your hard-earned cash especially as there are still a few installers and salespeople who laugh at the mere thought of south-facing solar panels. \u00a0<\/p>\r\n<p>This article will give information on south-facing solar and explain why most homeowners are likely to find it a good investment.\u00a0 If you&#8217;re not interested in technical details and want to know how long it will take to pay for itself, skip down to the subheading, &#8220;Can South-Facing Panels Pay?&#8221;<\/p>\r\n<h2>3 Features Of South-Facing Solar<\/h2>\r\n<p>A few important factors affecting the output of south-facing solar are&#8230;<\/p>\r\n<ul>\r\n<li><strong>Location:<\/strong>\u00a0 The further south you go, the less energy you&#8217;ll get from south-facing solar panels. \u00a0Darwin is a better location for south-facing solar than Hobart.<\/li>\r\n<li><strong>Tilt:<\/strong> The more gentle the slope of your roof, the more energy south-facing panels will generate.\u00a0 An unusually steep south-facing roof will decimate your energy yield.<sup class='endnote'><a href='https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/south-facing-solar-panels\/#en-58108-1' id='enref-58108-1' onclick='return hhEndnotes_show(58108)'>1<\/a><\/sup><\/li>\r\n<li><strong>Low Winter Output:<\/strong>\u00a0In most capitals, the winter output of south-facing solar panels is under half of what north-facing panels would produce.<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<h2>Location<\/h2>\r\n<p>The output of south-facing panels is affected by local climate, so the decline in their relative output compared to north-facing ones doesn&#8217;t occur smoothly.\u00a0 But if we compare Australia&#8217;s most northerly city with the most southerly one, the difference is clear.\u00a0 With a tilt of 15 degrees, the annual output of south-facing panels compared to otherwise identical north-facing ones in Darwin and Hobart will be:<\/p>\r\n<ul>\r\n<li><strong>Darwin:<\/strong>\u00a0 Annual output of south-facing panels is 88% of north-facing ones<\/li>\r\n<li><strong>Hobart:<\/strong>\u00a0 Annual output of south-facing panels is 74% of north-facing ones<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<p>The difference is mostly because the sun is higher in the sky the closer a location is to the equator, and Darwin is 3,400 km closer.\u00a0<\/p>\r\n<p>I&#8217;ve arranged Australian capitals in order from north to south in the graph below.\u00a0 It shows the average annual output of south-facing solar at a 15\u00ba tilt as a percentage of the average annual output of otherwise identical north facing north at the same tilt:<\/p>\r\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-58313 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/south_versus.png\" alt=\"South facing solar vs north facing - 15 degree tilt \" width=\"1052\" height=\"624\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/south_versus.png 1052w, https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/south_versus-300x178.png 300w, https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/south_versus-1024x607.png 1024w, https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/south_versus-768x456.png 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1052px) 100vw, 1052px\" \/><\/p>\r\n<p>As you can see, the relative performance of south-facing panels declines the further south you go, but it&#8217;s not a smooth process.\u00a0 The annual output of south-facing panels is 80% of north-facing ones in Brisbane and Perth, despite Perth being 500 km further south.\u00a0 This is because\u00a0 Brisbane has cloudy summers, when south-facing panels have their highest output, while Perth summers are mostly clear and dry.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\r\n<h2>Tilt\/Angle<\/h2>\r\n<p>The two most common roof tilts for Australian homes are 15 and 22.5 degrees.\u00a0<\/p>\r\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-58376 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/south_pitch.jpg\" alt=\"Standard roof pitches and solar panel angle\" width=\"557\" height=\"167\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/south_pitch.jpg 557w, https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/south_pitch-300x90.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 557px) 100vw, 557px\" \/><\/p>\r\n<p>The less steep the slope of your roof, the higher the annual output of south-facing panels will be.\u00a0 This is because panels on a south-facing roof are tilted in the opposite of the best direction.\u00a0 The greater their tilt, the further away from the optimal position they become.\u00a0 This effect also becomes worse the further south you go.<\/p>\r\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-58379 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/south_darwin_vs_hobart.jpg\" alt=\"Darwin - south facing panels vs. north\" width=\"518\" height=\"507\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/south_darwin_vs_hobart.jpg 518w, https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/south_darwin_vs_hobart-300x294.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 518px) 100vw, 518px\" \/><\/p>\r\n<p>As the figure above shows, increasing the tilt of south-facing panels from 15 degrees to 22.5 causes a greater drop in output in Hobart than in Darwin.\u00a0<\/p>\r\n<h2>Tilt &amp; Output In Sydney<\/h2>\r\n<p>If I use Australia&#8217;s largest city &#8212; Sydney &#8212; as an example and make a graph of the annual output of 1 kilowatt of north-facing solar and an otherwise identical 1 kilowatt of south-facing solar, and show how the annual output changes with tilt, it looks like this:<\/p>\r\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-58314 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/south_tilt.png\" alt=\"1kW south facing solar vs. north facing\" width=\"1068\" height=\"650\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/south_tilt.png 1068w, https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/south_tilt-300x183.png 300w, https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/south_tilt-1024x623.png 1024w, https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/south_tilt-768x467.png 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1068px) 100vw, 1068px\" \/><\/p>\r\n<p>The graph shows the output of north-facing panels in Sydney slowly increases with tilt until 32.5 degrees is reached.\u00a0 After this, it slowly declines.\u00a0 This is very different from south-facing panels, which drop in output with every degree tilt is increased.\u00a0<\/p>\r\n<p>On a steep south-facing roof in Sydney with a 45\u00ba slope, panels will only produce two-thirds the annual output they would on a south-facing roof with the much more common slope of 22.5 degrees.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\r\n<h2>Tilt Racks<\/h2>\r\n<p>Tilt racks put legs on your solar panels so you can install them on a south-facing roof but still face them north.\u00a0<\/p>\r\n<div id=\"attachment_58382\" style=\"width: 444px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-58382\" class=\"wp-image-58382 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/south_tilt_frame.jpg\" alt=\"tilt racking systems\" width=\"434\" height=\"245\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/south_tilt_frame.jpg 434w, https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/south_tilt_frame-300x169.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 434px) 100vw, 434px\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-58382\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Here&#8217;s an example of the &#8220;legs&#8221; I&#8217;m referring to. You can decide for yourself whether or not they count as sexy.<\/p><\/div>\r\n<p>If you have a flat roof, then <a href=\"https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/solar-panels-flat-roof\/\">tilt racks can be a good idea<\/a>, but I don&#8217;t recommend them for angled roofs because:<\/p>\r\n<ul>\r\n<li>They&#8217;re not cheap.<\/li>\r\n<li>They can reduce the total number of panels that can fit on a roof section.<\/li>\r\n<li>Your local council may need to approve them.<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<p>Because solar panels cost far less than they used to, it usually makes more financial sense to install panels parallel with the roof than pay for tilt racks<sup class='endnote'><a href='https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/south-facing-solar-panels\/#en-58108-2' id='enref-58108-2' onclick='return hhEndnotes_show(58108)'>2<\/a><\/sup>.\u00a0<\/p>\r\n<h2>Low Winter Output<\/h2>\r\n<p>Counter-intuitively, in some locations in summer, south-facing panels outperform north-facing ones at shallow roof angles.\u00a0 The graph below shows the average daily output in December for 1 kilowatt of solar PV in each capital.\u00a0 It compares one kilowatt of north-facing solar at 15 degrees tilt with 1 kilowatt of south-facing solar at 15 degrees tilt:\u00a0<\/p>\r\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-58319 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/south_dec-1.png\" alt=\"North vs. south facing solar 15 degree tilt kWh output December - Australian capitals\" width=\"1057\" height=\"590\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/south_dec-1.png 1057w, https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/south_dec-1-300x167.png 300w, https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/south_dec-1-1024x572.png 1024w, https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/south_dec-1-768x429.png 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1057px) 100vw, 1057px\" \/><\/p>\r\n<p>As the graph shows, the December output of south-facing panels is better than north-facing ones in Darwin, Brisbane, and Perth.\u00a0 In other capitals, there&#8217;s either little or no difference.<\/p>\r\n<p>It&#8217;s a very different story in June, the worst month for solar generation in most locations.\u00a0 The graph below compares the average daily output in June for 1 kilowatt of north-facing solar at a 15\u00ba tilt with 1 kilowatt of south solar at a 15\u00ba tilt:<\/p>\r\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-58320 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/south_jun.png\" alt=\"North vs. south facing solar 15 degree tilt kWh output June - Australian capitals\" width=\"1053\" height=\"555\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/south_jun.png 1053w, https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/south_jun-300x158.png 300w, https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/south_jun-1024x540.png 1024w, https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/south_jun-768x405.png 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1053px) 100vw, 1053px\" \/><\/p>\r\n<p>Compared to north-facing solar, south-facing winter solar generates two-thirds as much in Darwin, close to 60% in Brisbane, and under 50% in every other capital.\u00a0<\/p>\r\n<p>If your household uses more electricity for summer air conditioning than winter heating, then low winter output may not be a major problem.\u00a0 But in Canberra, Melbourne, and Hobart, more energy is used for winter heating than summer cooling, reducing the value of south-facing panels.<\/p>\r\n<h2>Information By Capital<\/h2>\r\n<p>Below I&#8217;ve given information on how direction affects solar generation in each capital.\u00a0 I&#8217;ve used compass roses like the ones below, giving information for Alice Springs:<\/p>\r\n<div id=\"attachment_58661\" style=\"width: 1010px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-58661\" class=\"wp-image-58661 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/south_alice.jpg\" alt=\"Alice Springs - solar energy generation by direction and tilt\" width=\"1000\" height=\"584\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/south_alice.jpg 1000w, https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/south_alice-300x175.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/south_alice-768x449.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-58661\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">While Alice Springs is in the middle of Australia, solar there isn&#8217;t a middle of the road for Australian households. If there&#8217;s a capital closer to your location, information for it is likely to be a better guide.<\/p><\/div>\r\n<p>The yellow compass rose is for panels tilted at 15 degrees, while the sort-of-blue one is for panels tilted at 22.5 degrees.\u00a0<\/p>\r\n<p>The percentage given for each of the eight compass directions is how much annual output panels facing that direction will produce compared to north-facing panels at that tilt.<\/p>\r\n<p>I&#8217;ve provided percentages rather kilowatt-hour figures because &#8212; barring godlike powers &#8212; it&#8217;s not really possible to change how much sunlight a city receives.\u00a0 But it is possible to decide which section of roof to put solar panels on, so I decided percentages would be more useful.\u00a0<\/p>\r\n<p>I&#8217;ve also given annual and daily kilowatt-hour averages for north-facing panels in each capital.\u00a0 You can use the percentages to work them out for any direction if you wish.\u00a0<\/p>\r\n<p>Latitude is also provided, which indicates how far south of the equator a location is.\u00a0 Since most people who aren&#8217;t sailors aren&#8217;t very familiar with it, I&#8217;ve also given the figure for km from the equator for each capital. \u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\r\n<p>Panels facing an easterly direction will produce more energy in the morning than in the afternoon, while panels facing a westerly direction are the opposite.\u00a0 Because households save more money by directly consuming solar energy rather than sending it into the grid for a feed-in tariff, the time a household consumes the most energy during the day is a consideration when deciding where to place solar panels.<\/p>\r\n<h2>Darwin<\/h2>\r\n<p>Darwin is Australia&#8217;s most northerly city with cloudy and wet summers, while winters are clear and dry.\u00a0 Despite frequent cloud cover during the Big Wet, Darwin solar has the highest average output of any capital.\u00a0 Because of its far north location, along with local climate, there&#8217;s no real difference between the annual output of solar at 15 degrees and 22.5 degrees.\u00a0<\/p>\r\n<ul>\r\n<li>Latitude 12\u00b026&#8242;\u00a0\u00a0 Distance from equator = 1,386 km<\/li>\r\n<li>1 kw north facing solar average annual output:\u00a0 15\u00b0 tilt = 1691 kWh \u00a0 22.5\u00b0 tilt = 1691 kWh<\/li>\r\n<li>1 kw north facing solar average daily output:\u00a0 15\u00b0 tilt = 4.63 kWh \u00a0 22.5\u00b0 tilt = 4.63 kWh<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-58349 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/south_darwin2.jpg\" alt=\"Darwin  - solar energy generation by direction and tilt\" width=\"1000\" height=\"584\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/south_darwin2.jpg 1000w, https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/south_darwin2-300x175.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/south_darwin2-768x449.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px\" \/><\/p>\r\n<h2>Brisbane<\/h2>\r\n<p>While not as extreme as Darwin, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/installers\/cities\/brisbane\/\">Brisbane<\/a> also has most of its rain and cloud in summer, while winters are mostly clear and dry.\u00a0 It also has many birds that want to kill you.<\/p>\r\n<ul>\r\n<li>Latitude 27\u00b028&#8242;\u00a0 Distance from equator = 3,054 km<\/li>\r\n<li>1 kw north facing solar average annual output:\u00a0 15\u00b0 tilt = 1,571 kWh\u00a0 22.5\u00b0 tilt = 1,599 kWh<\/li>\r\n<li>1 kw north facing solar average daily output:\u00a0 15\u00b0 tilt = 4.30 kWh \u00a0 22.5\u00b0 tilt = 4.38 kWh<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-58354 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/south_brisbane.jpg\" alt=\"Brisbane  - solar electricity generation by direction and tilt\" width=\"1000\" height=\"584\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/south_brisbane.jpg 1000w, https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/south_brisbane-300x175.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/south_brisbane-768x449.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px\" \/><\/p>\r\n<h2>Perth<\/h2>\r\n<p>Clouds fear Perth, so solar generation is nearly as high as in Darwin over 2,000 km further north.\u00a0 Because only homes with solar power systems of 6.66 kilowatts or less can receive a feed-in tariff in WA, large systems are rare, and few homes have south-facing panels.<\/p>\r\n<ul>\r\n<li>Latitude 12\u00b026&#8242;\u00a0 Distance from equator = 3,553 km<\/li>\r\n<li>1 kw north facing solar average annual output:\u00a0 15\u00b0 tilt = 1,655 kWh\u00a0 22.5\u00b0 tilt = 1,686 kWh<\/li>\r\n<li>1 kw north facing solar average daily output:\u00a0 15\u00b0 tilt = 4.53 kWh \u00a0 22.5\u00b0 tilt = 4.62 kWh<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-58357 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/south_perth.jpg\" alt=\"Perth - solar energy generation by direction and tilt\" width=\"1000\" height=\"584\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/south_perth.jpg 1000w, https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/south_perth-300x175.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/south_perth-768x449.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px\" \/><\/p>\r\n<h2>Sydney<\/h2>\r\n<p>Sydney has no wet or dry season and is the even Steven of Australian capitals.\u00a0<\/p>\r\n<ul>\r\n<li>Latitude 33\u00b052&#8242;\u00a0 Distance from equator = 3,766 km<\/li>\r\n<li>1 kW north-facing solar average annual output:\u00a0 15\u00b0 tilt = 1,470 kWh\u00a0 22.5\u00b0 tilt = 1,509 kWh<\/li>\r\n<li>1 kW north-facing solar average daily output:\u00a0 15\u00b0 tilt = 4.03 kWh \u00a0 22.5\u00b0 tilt = 4.13 kWh<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-58359 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/south_sydney.jpg\" alt=\" Sydney - solar electricity generation by direction and tilt\" width=\"1000\" height=\"584\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/south_sydney.jpg 1000w, https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/south_sydney-300x175.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/south_sydney-768x449.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px\" \/><\/p>\r\n<h2>Adelaide<\/h2>\r\n<p>Clear summer skies make annual solar generation in Adelaide only modestly lower than in Brisbane, despite being much further south. \u00a0<\/p>\r\n<ul>\r\n<li>Latitude 34\u00b056&#8242;\u00a0 Distance from equator = 3,884 km<\/li>\r\n<li>1 kw north facing solar average annual output:\u00a0 15\u00b0 tilt = 1,477 kWh\u00a0 22.5\u00b0 tilt = 1,513 kWh<\/li>\r\n<li>1 kw north facing solar average daily output:\u00a0 15\u00b0 tilt = 4.05 kWh \u00a0 22.5\u00b0 tilt = 4.15 kWh<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-58361 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/south_adelaide.jpg\" alt=\"Adelaide - solar energy generation by direction and tilt\" width=\"1000\" height=\"584\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/south_adelaide.jpg 1000w, https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/south_adelaide-300x175.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/south_adelaide-768x449.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px\" \/><\/p>\r\n<h2>Canberra<\/h2>\r\n<p>Overall, solar output is high in Canberra.\u00a0 However, the winter output of south-facing panels is meagre, which is a pity because it can get damned cold there.<\/p>\r\n<ul>\r\n<li>Latitude 35\u00b018&#8242;\u00a0 Distance from equator = 3,923 km<\/li>\r\n<li>1 kw north facing solar average annual output:\u00a0 15\u00b0 tilt = 1,482 kWh\u00a0 22.5\u00b0 tilt = 1,523 kWh<\/li>\r\n<li>1 kw north facing solar average daily output:\u00a0 15\u00b0 tilt = 4.06 kWh \u00a0 22.5\u00b0 tilt = 4.17 kWh<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-58362 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/south_canberra.jpg\" alt=\"Canberra - solar electricity generation by direction and tilt\" width=\"1000\" height=\"584\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/south_canberra.jpg 1000w, https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/south_canberra-300x175.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/south_canberra-768x449.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px\" \/><\/p>\r\n<h2>Melbourne<\/h2>\r\n<p>Melbourne is the cloudiest capital on the mainland.\u00a0 The weather there has no idea what it&#8217;s doing from one hour to the next, but at least it&#8217;s not boring.\u00a0<\/p>\r\n<ul>\r\n<li>Latitude 37\u00b049&#8242;\u00a0 Distance from equator = 4,205 km<\/li>\r\n<li>1 kw north facing solar average annual output:\u00a0 15\u00b0 tilt = 1,329 kWh\u00a0 22.5\u00b0 tilt = 1,362 kWh<\/li>\r\n<li>1 kw north facing solar average daily output:\u00a0 15\u00b0 tilt = 3.64 kWh \u00a0 22.5\u00b0 tilt = 3.73 kWh<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-58364 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/south_melbourne.jpg\" alt=\"Melbourne - solar energy generation by direction and tilt\" width=\"1000\" height=\"584\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/south_melbourne.jpg 1000w, https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/south_melbourne-300x175.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/south_melbourne-768x449.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px\" \/><\/p>\r\n<h2>Hobart<\/h2>\r\n<p>Hobart is Australia&#8217;s most southerly city and has the lowest solar output of any capital.\u00a0 Fortunately, not low enough to prevent solar power from being worthwhile.<\/p>\r\n<ul>\r\n<li>Latitude 42\u00b053&#8242;\u00a0 Distance from equator = 4,768 km<\/li>\r\n<li>1 kw north facing solar average annual output:\u00a0 15\u00b0 tilt = 1,152 kWh\u00a0 22.5\u00b0 tilt = 1,142 kWh<\/li>\r\n<li>1 kw north facing solar average daily output:\u00a0 15\u00b0 tilt = 3.16 kWh \u00a0 22.5\u00b0 tilt = 3.13 kWh<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-58366 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/south_hobart.jpg\" alt=\" Hobart - solar electricity generation by direction and tilt\" width=\"1000\" height=\"584\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/south_hobart.jpg 1000w, https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/south_hobart-300x175.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/south_hobart-768x449.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px\" \/><\/p>\r\n<h2>Can South Facing Panels Pay?\u00a0<\/h2>\r\n<p>Yes.\u00a0 They can.<\/p>\r\n<p>The easiest way to work out if south-facing solar is likely to pay is to use the SolarQuotes <a href=\"https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/solar-calculator\/\">Solar &amp; Battery Calculator<\/a>.\u00a0 If you enter the relevant details, it will handle all the calculations and estimate a solar system&#8217;s simple payback time.\u00a0 This is how long it will take the savings on electricity bills to equal the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/panels\/cost\/\">cost of a solar power system<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\r\n<p>What payback period is enough to make solar worthwhile is something people have to decide for themselves<sup class='endnote'><a href='https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/south-facing-solar-panels\/#en-58108-3' id='enref-58108-3' onclick='return hhEndnotes_show(58108)'>3<\/a><\/sup>, but I think the return from south-facing solar on a typical unshaded roof anywhere in Australia should be good enough to appeal to the majority of people who don&#8217;t owe money to the mafia.\u00a0<\/p>\r\n<h2>Determining Payback Period<\/h2>\r\n<p>Our Solar &amp; Battery Calculator lets you enter&#8230;<\/p>\r\n<ul>\r\n<li>The direction &#8212; or directions &#8212; your solar panels will face.<\/li>\r\n<li>The slope of the roof.<\/li>\r\n<li>The cost of grid electricity<\/li>\r\n<li>The <a href=\"https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/systems\/feed-in-tariffs\/\">solar feed-in tariff<\/a>.<\/li>\r\n<li>The cost of the system.<\/li>\r\n<li>How much you spend on electricity per year.<\/li>\r\n<li>Whether or not you have a battery.<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<p>This is a considerable amount of information to input. Still, it automatically provides default values for a typical household, so if you&#8217;re happy with them, it makes things a lot faster.\u00a0<\/p>\r\n<p>To get an estimate of the simple payback time of south-facing solar in every capital, I&#8217;ll have to consider&#8230;<\/p>\r\n<ul>\r\n<li>System size<\/li>\r\n<li>Panel direction and tilt<\/li>\r\n<li>Cost<\/li>\r\n<li>Electricity prices, and&#8230;<\/li>\r\n<li>Solar feed-in tariffs<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<p><strong>System Size:<\/strong>\u00a0 I&#8217;ll assume a system with <a href=\"https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/systems\/6kw\/\">6.6 kilowatts of panel capacity<\/a> will be installed.\u00a0 In some locations, this is the maximum homes with single-phase power can install.<\/p>\r\n<p><strong>Direction and tilt:<\/strong>\u00a0 The system will face directly south and tilted at 23 degrees.\u00a0 Few solar power systems have all their panels facing south, but I&#8217;m assuming a worst-case situation for direction.<\/p>\r\n<p><strong>Cost:<\/strong>\u00a0 I&#8217;ll assume the system costs $6,000.\u00a0 This won&#8217;t pay for the best panels or inverter available but can cover a system composed of reliable components from an installer who does quality work.\u00a0<\/p>\r\n<p><strong>Electricity Prices:\u00a0 <\/strong>To get an accurate estimate of the payback period, you should enter what you expect to typically pay for electricity during the day with the electricity plan you will have after you get solar installed.\u00a0 It may be necessary to estimate the amount.\u00a0 I&#8217;ll use the default values for my estimate for each capital.<\/p>\r\n<p><strong>Solar feed-in tariff:<\/strong>\u00a0 I will use our Solar &amp; Battery Calculator&#8217;s default value for solar feed-in tariffs.\u00a0 In every state except WA, the default assumes the feed-in tariff will decrease by 1 cent a year down to a minimum of 6 cents.\u00a0 Western Australia doesn&#8217;t have this automatic reduction because their feed-in tariff is already close to rock bottom.\u00a0 I expect solar feed-in tariffs will rise over the next couple of years as the world economy recovers, but &#8212; to err on the side of caution &#8212; I will use the default values with the automatic reduction.<\/p>\r\n<p><strong>Other factors:\u00a0 <\/strong>For everything else, I&#8217;ll leave the defaults as they are.\u00a0 This includes solar electricity self-consumption based on the size and panel position for a typical home.<\/p>\r\n<p>After entering the details into the Solar &amp; Battery Calculator, it gave me the following payback periods in years for each capital:<\/p>\r\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-58395\" src=\"https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/south_payback.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"1070\" height=\"637\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/south_payback.png 1070w, https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/south_payback-300x179.png 300w, https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/south_payback-1024x610.png 1024w, https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/south_payback-768x457.png 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1070px) 100vw, 1070px\" \/><\/p>\r\n<p>The longest simple payback for south-facing solar is 7.2 years in Hobart.\u00a0 This isn&#8217;t surprising, as that city has the lowest solar output in Australia, and south-facing panels perform poorly there.\u00a0 But, while its payback period is the longest, it&#8217;s still not a bad investment for many Tasmanians.\u00a0 The old rule of thumb for business was a payback period of 7 years for an investment was worthwhile.\u00a0 This is now out of date, as the period has become longer.\u00a0 Whether or not it&#8217;s worthwhile for a household will come down to individual preferences.\u00a0 If you know you&#8217;re likely to stay in a home for more than seven years, I&#8217;d say you have little to lose.\u00a0 Even if you leave before it has paid for itself, a good solar power system will add to your home&#8217;s value.<\/p>\r\n<p>The second-longest payback period is in Melbourne at 6.4 years.\u00a0 This is partly due to the climate, but also thanks to low electricity prices.\u00a0 But there is a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/victorian-solar-rebate.html\">Victorian Solar Rebate<\/a> of up to $1,400 currently available I did not include.\u00a0 With that, the payback period falls to 3.8 years.<\/p>\r\n<p>Adelaide has the shortest payback period of any capital &#8212; if the Victorian rebate is ignored.\u00a0 While not a great location for south-facing solar, high electricity prices and feed-in tariffs allow rapid payback.\u00a0<\/p>\r\n<h2>Not As Good As Other Directions &#8212; But Often Worthwhile<\/h2>\r\n<p>For various reasons, including simply having plenty of roof space in a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/panels\/direction\/\">better direction<\/a>, south-facing solar won&#8217;t suit everyone.\u00a0 But whether your goal is to&#8230;<\/p>\r\n<ul>\r\n<li>Save the planet.<\/li>\r\n<li>Save money.<\/li>\r\n<li>Have plenty of solar generation, so you&#8217;re prepared for when you get a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/battery-storage\/comparison-table\/\">home battery<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/ev\/solar-electric-cars\/\">electric car<\/a>, increase consumption or ditch your gas connection.<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<p>Then south-facing solar can make plenty of sense.\u00a0 If you have a suitable south-facing roof without significant shading and can install solar panels there without difficulty, then I say fill your roof with solar.<\/p>\r\n\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>TLDR: Can you put solar panels facing south in Australia? Hell yeah! In 2010, when Australian rooftop solar power really started to take off, nearly every Australian solar system faced north to maximise energy yield.\u00a0 But today, on an unshaded roof, panels facing any direction can pay for themselves.\u00a0 This includes the &#8216;worst&#8217; direction: south.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":10,"featured_media":58713,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[57],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-58108","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-solar-installation","entry"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v27.2 (Yoast SEO v27.2) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-premium-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Can You Install Solar Panels Facing South In Australia? Absolutely.<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Don&#039;t be afraid to install solar panels on your south-facing roof in Australia. They can still produce plenty of energy facing that direction.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/south-facing-solar-panels\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Solar Panels On A South Facing Roof Can Pay Anywhere In Australia\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Don&#039;t be afraid to install solar panels on your south-facing roof in Australia. They can still produce plenty of energy facing that direction.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/south-facing-solar-panels\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"SolarQuotes Blog\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/SolarQuotes\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2022-02-07T00:32:16+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2024-08-20T01:48:34+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/south-facing-panels.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1200\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"628\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Ronald Brakels\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@BrakelsRonald\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@solar_quotes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/south-facing-solar-panels\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/south-facing-solar-panels\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Ronald Brakels\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/d0ce1779b3f5cb67cb4f146732af2fc7\"},\"headline\":\"Solar Panels On A South Facing Roof Can Pay Anywhere In Australia\",\"datePublished\":\"2022-02-07T00:32:16+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2024-08-20T01:48:34+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/south-facing-solar-panels\/\"},\"wordCount\":2865,\"commentCount\":36,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/south-facing-solar-panels\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/south-facing-panels.jpg\",\"articleSection\":[\"Solar Installation\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-AU\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/south-facing-solar-panels\/#respond\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/south-facing-solar-panels\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/south-facing-solar-panels\/\",\"name\":\"Can You Install Solar Panels Facing South In Australia? 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