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PTPanel Tilt Notes

Where to point your solar panels

Plain answers on how to tilt, aim and place solar panels for a small off-grid system in Australia. It covers the angle, the direction and the shade that can quietly cut what a panel makes. Each page starts with the question a beginner would ask.

  1. Why the angle of a solar panel matters How much the angle of a solar panel changes its output, why a fixed panel is only square to the sun briefly, and how forgiving it is.
  2. Which way to face solar panels in Australia Why fixed panels in Australia face true north, how true north differs from a compass, and what to do if your roof faces another way.
  3. Choosing a tilt angle for your latitude How to pick a tilt for a fixed solar panel from your latitude, and why the right angle shifts between summer and winter.
  4. How shading cuts solar output Why a small shadow can cost far more power than its size, what hot spots are, and how bypass diodes limit the damage.
  5. Checking a site for shade through the day and year How to find where shadows fall on a planned panel site across a day and across the seasons, before you fix anything down.
  6. Fixed or adjustable panel mounts Whether changing a panel's tilt by season is worth the trouble, and when a fixed mount is perfectly fine for a small off-grid system.
  7. Flat roofs and low tilt panels What you lose when panels lie flat or nearly flat, and how dirt, rain and heat behave at low angles.