How To Install Solar Panels

If you just bought or are considering buying a Solar Electric System for your own because you would like to save hundreds of dollars a year on your annual and monthly electric bills, and would like to do something great for the environment at the same time.† But, before you go and put that big Solar Array on your roof, you need to understand the principles of installing Solar Panels, so you can make the right choices about how and where to install them.
Roof Space
An average sized system can take up hundreds of square feet of roof space, or more.† When you are working with a Solar Company, they should tell you how much roof space you will need for your Solar Electric System.

Direction of Installation
In the northern hemisphere, Solar Panels should always be installed pointing towards true south.†The difference between magnetic south and true south is called the Azimuth.† Depending on the longitude of your location (direction East and West) determines your Azimuth.† Azimuth is different from location to location, and you should align your Solar Panels on the Azimuth for optimum performance.

Angle of Installation
You need to install you solar panels at the right angle in order to ensure that they perform with the highest possible efficiency and deliver the highest returns on investment and the shortest payback period possible.† The optimum installation angle for your Solar Panels is your latitude (your position North-South) plus 15 degrees.† For instance, say you live at 30 degrees North Latitude, you Solar Panels should be installed at 45 degrees – 30 degrees plus 15 degrees.

Mounting Hardware Type
There are several different types of mounting hardware you can use to install your Solar Panels.† The four main types of Solar Panel Mounting Hardware are Roof Flush Mount, which mounts your solar panels flush to your roof, keeping them low profile and unobtrusive; Roof/Ground Tilt Mounts, which mount your solar panels on the ground, or the roof at a tilted angle (in case your roof is lower than the optimum angle for installation of your Solar Panels); and Side of Pole and Top of Pole Mounting Hardware.