Maximum Roof Pitch For Solar Panels

Low pitch roofs and solar panels.

Maximum roof pitch for solar panels. However the panels can be installed anywhere between 10 to 35 deg with negligible efficiency loss. Trackers are structures which hold the solar panels in order to move and or tilt them according to the position of the sun. This shouldn t be off putting though as the energy reduction compared to roofs pitched at higher degrees is fairly small and varies depending on a range of factors. Optimal electricity production occurs when solar panels face south at a tilt equal to 30.

At this level the solar panel can lie flat on the roof and get enough sunlight to produce enough electricity. 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. Good news solar panels can be installed on low pitch roofs. Tracking panels live up to their name they track the sun as it moves through the sky each day.

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 or tracking solar panels. 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. However even if you lower the tilt of your roof all the way down to 5 production only decreases by about 10 percent.

The orientation of the panels and the angle they are tilted will have a greater effect on annual energy production. Depending on the pitch of your roof tracking panels may not be an option for. Fixed panels are stationary and remain at the same pitch throughout the day and year. 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.

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. A solar panel roof load calculator helps you to establish the size and the weight of the solar panels that your roof can accommodate. The angle of your roof actually has less impact on solar panel performance than the direction your solar energy system faces. However they may produce less energy than panels installed on higher pitched roofs.

Of course some roofs will not allow this pitch but installers will try where possible to get as efficient a pitch as possible. They cannot be mounted on a slanted roof.