Fixed tilt angle at 41deg. Lat

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Johnboy777
Johnboy777 Registered Users Posts: 19 ✭
in Solar Beginners Corner #1
Seems there's more opinions than there are people.

I'm at 41deg lat.

I've read (Wholesale Solar, for one) that you should use your lat. plus 15deg (from horizontal) in the winter and minus 15deg. (from Horizontal) in the summer.

My thought here is that where I live there's way more sun in the summer. So that I should set my fixed tilt at lat. plus 7.5deg. Splitting the difference between winter, fall and spring. Summer, with way more sun, will be okay.

So 41deg plus 7.5 = 48.5deg (.....say 50deg to KISS.)

Is my logic correct here?

Looks like I need to head west young man, by 8deg as well, to get true south (i.e., 8deg east from mag. north).

I realize by not adjusting for seasons that's it's not optimal, but I'm okay with that.

Thanks
John


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  • mike95490
    mike95490 Solar Expert Posts: 9,583 ✭✭✭✭✭
    #2
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    Re: Fixed tilt angle at 41deg. Lat

    I just put my location into PV watts, and ran through the months, to decide that the Nov-Feb setting was the one I needed to use. More hours (power) in the summer, but winter, I need the best tilt.
    Powerfab top of pole PV mount | Listeroid 6/1 w/st5 gen head | XW6048 inverter/chgr | Iota 48V/15A charger | Morningstar 60A MPPT | 48V, 800A NiFe Battery (in series)| 15, Evergreen 205w "12V" PV array on pole | Midnight ePanel | Grundfos 10 SO5-9 with 3 wire Franklin Electric motor (1/2hp 240V 1ph ) on a timer for 3 hr noontime run - Runs off PV ||
    || Midnight Classic 200 | 10, Evergreen 200w in a 160VOC array ||
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  • solar_dave
    solar_dave Solar Expert Posts: 2,397 ✭✭✭✭
    #3
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    Re: Fixed tilt angle at 41deg. Lat
    mike90045 wrote: »
    I just put my location into PV watts, and ran through the months, to decide that the Nov-Feb setting was the one I needed to use. More hours (power) in the summer, but winter, I need the best tilt.

    Yep and I need more power in summer so my angle of 22.6 degrees is a great compromise at 33.5 degree latitude.
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  • Johnboy777
    Johnboy777 Registered Users Posts: 19 ✭
    #4
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    Re: Fixed tilt angle at 41deg. Lat
    mike90045 wrote: »
    I just put my location into PV watts, and ran through the months, to decide that the Nov-Feb setting was the one I needed to use. More hours (power) in the summer, but winter, I need the best tilt.

    Your logic seems sounder - 41 + 15 = 56deg. ...say 55deg. from horizontal.

    Thanks
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  • niel
    niel Solar Expert Posts: 10,300 ✭✭✭✭
    #5
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    Re: Fixed tilt angle at 41deg. Lat

    there's nothing wrong in optimizing for the higher power potentials of summer if you are grid tied for your savings from the extra power produced will carry over to the winter. in an off grid arrangement your batteries will not store the extra power produced in the summer for use in the winter. it is more critical to have as much power as possible during the winter in an off grid arrangement and at the same time less important to reap the extra power summer has to offer unless you run lots of air conditioners or something out of the ordinary that sucks up extra power in the summer season and in that case seasonal adjustability may be important.
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