The most optimal direction to look at your solar panels is somewhere between the south and the west. It is in this place where your panels will receive maximum sunlight throughout the day. If your roof isn't facing in the right direction, then surface-mounted panels or pole-mounted panels may be your best option. The south is the best direction for solar panels to look in general.
In almost all cases, homeowners will achieve the biggest savings on their electricity bills and a faster payback period if they look their solar panels south in any other direction. West-facing solar panels will generate more energy later in the day, closer to peak usage hours. The peak production time occurs around 4 in the afternoon, which is approximately the same time that domestic use begins to increase. If your goal is to produce the electricity you use, western-facing solar panels can help you meet your goal.
Because the main source of solar radiation will be direct sunlight, it is important to correctly orient solar panels to maximize their exposure to the sun. Ideally, the sun's rays should be perpendicular to the surface of your solar panel. It's important to keep in mind that this orientation will vary depending on where you live and that the angle of the sun will change throughout the year. And additional panels can add enough power output to benefit as much as having south-facing solar panels.
There are many homeowners without south-facing roofs, who have solar panels installed and are enjoying huge savings on their electricity bills. In a solar panel installation, solar panels themselves only account for a small proportion of the costs; you should be able to add a few additional panels without increasing costs too much. The goal is to get sunlight to hit the panels at a perpendicular angle, resulting in the highest level of solar production. It's best to orient the solar panels between the south and the southwest if the utility uses time-of-use (TOU) billing.
In the Northern Hemisphere, where the United States is located, solar panels will achieve the maximum possible electricity production when they face south. Solar panel tracking systems can improve the production of a system by ensuring constant and direct exposure to the sun, both during the day and in all seasons. If you have a flat roof or install a set of panels on the floor, you can make even more use of solar energy by looking at the panels in the ideal direction. Finding the ideal orientation and angle for installing your solar panels will help improve the overall efficiency and energy production that you are able to achieve.
Even if your solar panels may not be ideally oriented, solar panels can be a good deal for your home. One way to avoid inefficiencies is to install more panels, which probably won't affect the total cost of the installation. South-facing panels are better if you plan to install a battery storage system such as the Tesla Powerwall or the Sonnen Eco. A general rule for finding the best angle for solar panels is to set the inclination at the same angle as the geographical latitude.
