Maximum Roof Pitch For Solar Panels

Fixed or tracking solar panels.

Maximum roof pitch for solar panels.

There are two types of solar panel mounting options. Depending on the pitch of your roof tracking panels may not be an option for. Good news solar panels can be installed on low pitch roofs. However they may produce less energy than panels installed on higher pitched roofs.

Low pitch roofs and solar panels. Of course some roofs will not allow this pitch but installers will try where possible to get as efficient a pitch as possible. Tracking panels live up to their name they track the sun as it moves through the sky each day. Many roofs are going to have slopes between 30 and 40 degrees which means that solar panels can lie flush against the roof and produce enough electricity for attractive returns.

You will notice that flat roofs with solar panels don t have the panels flat on the roof they are fitted on brackets that tilt the panels to around 30 degrees. Fixed panels are stationary and remain at the same pitch throughout the day and year. A solar panel roof load calculator helps you to establish the size and the weight of the solar panels that your roof can accommodate. However even if you lower the tilt of your roof all the way down to 5 production only decreases by about 10 percent.

When you want to install solar panels it is vital to understand certain features of the roof and the solar panels. The angle of your roof actually has less impact on solar panel performance than the direction your solar energy system faces. This is a good option if the house roof cannot support the panels or there is a building with a better roof angle for maximum sun exposure. Most australian homes have a roof pitch of 20 to 30 which is considered optimum for maximizing solar power generation.

If you are trying to install solar panels on a steep roof it may not be possible to place panels at the optimal tilt with traditional racking systems. Optimal electricity production occurs when solar panels face south at a tilt equal to 30. However the panels can be installed anywhere between 10 to 35 deg with negligible efficiency loss. In case the roof is very steep you may not be able to get the most optimal tilt angle for the panel especially if it is lower than the angle of the roof.

At this level the solar panel can lie flat on the roof and get enough sunlight to produce enough electricity. The orientation of the panels and the angle they are tilted will have a greater effect on annual energy production.