Solar Panel Collector Angle

If it is fixed installation, do we need these many details?

Just keeping the angle same as the latitude and the direction as meridian is sufficient.

You might like to try some of these local to Oz links.

http://www.rpc.com.au/products/panels/pvmodules/pvmodules.html

http://www.solarchoice.net.au/blog/solar-panel-tilt-and-orientation-in-australia.html

http://www.energymatters.com.au/index.php?main_page=performance&climate=524181561&town=Angle%20Park&state=SA&country=Australia&solarpanel=31

http://www.aaiboomgates.com.au/PDF/Panel%20Angles%20Australia.pdf

That should give you some appropriate answers.

Cheers

If it is a tracker, point it directly at the sun. If it must be fixed, the tilt from horizontal should equal your latitude; point it to noon sun in the other plane (I think.)

Latitude is the word. GA

Stick a pencil on it (sticking up) and adjust for minimum shaddow length at noon at the equinox (the time of nocturnal horses).
No maths, no tables, no fancy measurements, more time for beer.
Del

Others have already given good (and also funny) answers. I would like to add little more.

If panel is tracking type, (in both directions: Sun movement over the year North to South and back and Sun movement over the day from Sun rise point to Sun set point) it is great. This will be Equatorial mount. It will be most efficient. But normally this will not be cheap and not easily available.

Second method may be tacking the sun over the day from Sun rise point to Sunset point). In this case, better to adjust the north south direction of the panel periodically.. say every 15 days. If you need, I can provide you the angle tables for your location against the date of adjustment. Please inform the exact location or latitude of your location.

Third method may be no tracking the Sun over the day: In this case same angle table as above may be used. Just face the panel towards exact north (for south hemisphere and south for north hemisphere) and tilt it as per the angle table for the day of the year.

If the panel is totally fixed type, with no adjustments of any kind.. North South or East West, Just face the panel towards exact north (for south hemisphere and south for north hemisphere) and tilt it according to latitude of your location.

Will you please let me know the exact location? I will put detailed plan for adjustments.

All of these are really good answers, but the best thing todo is ask the mfg, reason for this is that the most of the math solutions on the web are based on crystaline PV, but if you are using thin film, none of these solutions really apply.

For example if your latitude is 35 degrees most of the web based solutions will say to set tilt at about 34-37 degrees, however if you are using thin film the optimum angle of tilt is 28 degrees.

Spacecannon

Your latitude +15° for Winter Solstice and -15° for Summer Solstice. 0° deviation from your latitude for equinoxes.

If its not a tracking system, then look on the web and find some schematics for making it track the sun. Far more efficient!

Then you can forget the setting up, it will "set itself" up each day!!

At right angles to the sun?

Most of the answers are adequate. Many people have done detailed studies for best angle when using fixed arrays. The rule of thumb is use your latitude but for some people who like to fine tune the array there are some variations. I am at Latitude 18.5degrees North. My panels are mounted on Zomeworks trackers however if they were fixed then I would place them at 18.5Degrees facing due South. In your case you would face them due North (use TRUE north not magnetic) at an angle equal to your latitude. However I recently read an article from a GURU who did many years of studies and takes into consideration factors such as atmospheric density, hours of sun each day etc etc and based on his data I now use and angle of 20degrees as my angle on March 21 and Sept 21 of each year. I cannot really say if it makes much difference on my small system but maybe in megawatt arrays it would be notable. I set the tracker N/S angles 4 times each year. On March 21 its at 20 degrees South facing, On June 21 I could actually place it a few degrees North because the sun actually goes north of me here in Santo Domingo but I can only go to about 5Degrees because my gas trackers will "suck air" unless I spin them 180 degrees so I leave them at 5degrees, then in September 21 we go back to 20 degrees and in December we go all the way down to almost 40 degrees. With these settings I get the most out of my 1KW array.

One member mentioned thin film vs crystaline. I have installed both kinds and use exactly the same angles. The advantage that the thin film panels have is that they are less sensitive to the incident angle of the suns rays so on a fixed array they will start generating earlier in the morning and keep generating later in the afternoon as the suns angle gets less favorable. But the set up we use still is the same. If the commentator re thin film has more info please let me hear it.

I'm building a 1.3Mw commercial, grid tied, fixed ground mount, thinfilm system.

You are correct about thin film not being as sensative to the angle for this reason the optimum is a little different than crystallan. because the sweet spot is not as sensative for thinfilm I can drop the angle and take advantage of the more exteam angles of the sun, where crystalline just writes these periods off as being non productive.

Note my location, land is not expensive so I can spread out, meaning my panels dont have to be efficient, (TF ~10% EFF. and Crystaline ~ 18% efficient).

If mounting on my roof and space was precious then crystalline.

Spacecannon

Sounds like you fix this and do not track the solar input.

You can do this easy on 20th or 21st (depending on your exact location.) June exactly between sunrise and sunset. can be found on the Internet ( i use http://www.gaisma.com/en/dir/001-continent.html ) Measure the output and when it is maximum this is the best angle for all year round output.

You can do the same trick in six months.

But for me I would definitely use a solar tracking system you can get a much better output from these panels.

I hope I am correct but I think mid summer or mid winter is the best time to do this.

Equinox or Solstice.

Well... it depends, a tracking system isnt a good financial idea when looking at the cheapest possible system, ie thin film and so a balanced optimum is required between the suns highest angle june 21 this year and its lowest angle dec. 21 this year, Im speaking of course for a fixed system.

GA for the web site, a most excellant source for info.

Spacecannon

In my experience, the cost of a tracking system is more than what it would cost to buy extra panels to gain the same or more output.

Yes, but you must also consider how much energy you will produce over many years and what the cost of electricity is in your area now and what it might cost in the future. My trackers paid for themselves in less than 3 years where I live.

Any relation to Dr James Van Allen of the "Belt" fame?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Van_allen_belt

That high cost would be true for a completely "bought" system I feel, but for a good DIYer, I am sure a tracking system could be made relatively cheaply.....

Also, a tracking system that follows the Sun from morning to evening, does not really need to track the Sun in the azimuth, either that can be ignored of maybe adjusted from hand controls say once a month or so.....

Using stepper motors, geared down for power and (at least in my head!) relatively simple electronics including a PIC (PICAXE with Basic) to provide overall intelligence and easy programming......

Actually, even an analog clock mechanism could provide enough information for positioning......as the suns position (not azimuth) is always the same at the same time (forgetting summer & winter time of course!).....so as long as the clock does not correct for summer time and you line up the two in the beginning, you could have the minute hand removed and have the hour hand interrupting an IR sensor at say each hour, to move the solar collector just once each hour, that would be accurate enough.....

Using a 24 hour movement would make it even easier to set up angle wise......

Using a photo cell to distinguish between night and day would also account for the dark period and its variableness.

Or something along those lines.....

The optimum angle for all year best average with a fixed array will NOT be the June 21 position, it will be the March 21 and Sept 21 positions. You will also discover that this angle will be close to your Latitude. I noticed on a trip to Canada that as you get farther north they make a correction similar to the GURU I mentioned.

You are right John. 21st March and the 21st Sept are the mean North South positions of the Sun, it is teh celetial equator position.

Now, at the locations beond 66.5 deg North (or South) during respective summer, sun will not set at all. For north on 22nd June, the Sun will be exactly at north horizon at (so called) midnight, and will rise slowly towards east. At mid day it will be 23.5 deg up south. The tracker has to work very funny.!!

Reverse is true on 22nd December at 66.5 south.

It will be both...all soltaces equinoxes etc....but maybe the sun will be strongest midsummer and you can get a good reading from your meters.

Here is a link to a solar collector that is easy to build, and has a broad window for sunlight. It is a compound parabolic reflector.

This video is very non-technical but very detailed and the parabolic reflector can be built with simple tools at home.

Enjoy:

https://youtu.be/8zlAI32MSsQ