What is the best orientation?

The answer is not as simple as it used to be! In reality, it depends on your individual situation.

In the early days of solar system installations, solar panels were always installed North at 30 degrees to maximise total production (kWh) over the year. Since these systems were Gross metered systems, meaning all the power they produced was sold back to the grid, total production = savings = return on investment.

But with the change to Net metering where power is first consumed in the household, with only the excess being sold back to the grid, maximising total production may not lead to the most savings.

Based on our experience, most households will get the most benefit from having at least two orientations. We recommend you prioritise panel placement in this order: North, West, East and South (only if you really have no other choice). Having many orientations is possible, and allows you to spread out your generation across the entire day.

Having many orientations is possible, and allows you to spread out your generation across the entire day. SunStak systems are designed to handle solar panels facing many directions, unlike a typical string inverter which has much more rigid design requirements.

All SunStak systems come with both real-time system production and household consumption monitoring, so you can learn your energy behaviours and get the most out of your system. If you would like bespoke advice on the best system design for your home, contact us.

The future of system designs

Many orientations are now possible using one inverter!

6 panels @ 8 degrees
14 panels @ 280 degrees
12 panels @ 99 degrees

North

• Will provide the most generation (kWh)

• Production will peak in the middle of the day

• Still the best if you want to generate as much as possible

• May not produce power when you really need it

West

• 12% less generation compared to North (CEC guidelines, 20 degree inclination)

• Will produce power later in the day

• Fantastic for maximising self-consumption, especially for those who use more power in the mid to late afternoon

• Pairs well with battery storage

East

• 11% less generation compared to North (CEC guidelines, 20 degree inclination)

• Will produce power earlier in the day

• Fantastic for maximising self-consumption, especially for those who use more power earlier in the day

South

• 22% less generation compared to North (CEC guidelines, 20 degree inclination)

• Should only be used if the other orientations are not available

• Production will mostly occur during summer months (poor winter performance)