How do you orientate a solar panel? To the North or to the South? A stupid question of course. Everyone knows the answer. But what if you roof is not aimed to the South, but to the East and/or the West? Is it still worth the effort to install solar cells? And what with the slope of the roof? How steep may it be?

Most solar panels do not follow the movement of the sun (the maintenance of moving solar panels is too expensive). The orientation of your solar cells depends on 2 things:

1) the azimuth A (North-East-South-West)
e.g.A=0° = > the panel is aimed to the North
A=90° = > the panel is aimed to the West
A=180° = > the panel is aimed to the South
A=270° = > the panel is aimed to the East

2) the zenith n (the slope of the roof)
e.g. n=0° = > the solar cells lie horizontally (on a plat roof)
n=90° = > the solar cells stand vertically (e.g. to a wall)

Read further: “How is a solar panel orientated ideally?”