East- and West-Facing Roofs are Great for Solar
We all know south-facing roofs are the best
option for installing solar, but what if your roof does not face south? What if
the south side of your roof is shaded or at a bad angle?
Don’t worry. A southern orientation is not
crucial for a solar installation. East- or west-facing roofs are also great
candidates for solar.
Even though the sun shines from the south, the
east and west sides of a roof are exposed to significant amounts of sunlight
throughout the day. In fact, east- and west-facing solar panels can produce 80%
as much electricity as south-facing solar panels.
What this means is that with a small increase
in the number of solar panels on your roof, your
east- or west-facing solar panels can produce just as much electricity as a
south-facing solar panels.
When is
East-Facing Solar a Better Option?
The best strategy for solar production is to
produce electricity when you need it. This means that sometimes a south-facing roof
is not the best option for solar panels. This can be the case for households or
businesses that see high electricity use early in the day.
As businesses or households start flipping
switches to turn on lights and equipment and start powering up computers and
other machinery, their energy consumption can quickly ramp up. This is the time
when solar could help cover their energy demands.
For these consumers, early-morning energy
production from the east or southeast-facing solar panels is a good option. East-facing
solar panels can take advantage of the early-morning sun and start producing
electricity earlier than south-facing solar panels.
When is
West-Facing Solar a Better Option?
As stated above, the best strategy for solar
is to produce energy when you need it most. For many households, their highest
energy demands come in the evening. As families get home from work and school,
they start turning on lights, televisions, microwaves, washers, and dryers, and
their energy consumption skyrockets.
To meet these late-evening energy demands, it
can sometimes be a good strategy to have solar panels that face west or
southwest to take advantage of the evening sun.
Designing your solar system to produce
electricity in the evening can also help avoid Time-Of-Use (TOU) utility rates.
TOU rates charge more for energy used during peak demand periods, often in the
evening when households are ramping up their energy usage.
With west and southwest-facing solar
installations, solar panels can produce electricity when TOU rates are highest
and help reduce energy bills.
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Author: Tim Deters
Bio: Tim Deters is a content manager for Green Ridge Solar. Tim’s background is in journalism and
renewable energy, which he uses to convey important facts and information
about solar and renewable energy. Tim is known for his silent nature and owning
more plants than he has space.