How High Can You Mount Solar Panels? Brief Placement Guide!

Standing at 28 stories, the CIS Tower is one of the tallest skyscrapers in Manchester, UK. It is also completely covered in solar panels which makes it the largest vertical solar array in Europe.

Solar panels can be installed at any height. This could be on the ground or even in space where solar panels are installed on satellites and orbiting space stations. Solar panels can even be installed on or underwater.

So, Does the Height Of the Solar Panel Matter?

The height at which a solar panel is placed does not affect its performance. A solar panel can be placed at any height. The most important factor in solar panel energy yield is the availability of sunlight. Height is not a consideration in solar panel installation. Solar panels can be mounted on skyscrapers or on the ground. The critical factors that affect solar panels are position, orientation, and tilt.

You can have solar panels just about anywhere. As long as they are in direct sunlight, they will produce energy. But what’s the best position for a solar panel? How should you mount them if you want them to produce the maximum amount of energy?

Not all positions will give you the same amount of energy. For instance, if you live in the Northern Hemisphere, as in the U.S or Canada, can you position your solar panels the same way as someone in South Africa or Kenya? As it turns out you shouldn’t and, in this article, we will explain why.

Where Should Solar Panels Be Positioned?

Solar panels should be positioned in direct sunlight away from shade. Direct sunlight is the most important factor for solar panels as it ensures maximum energy yield. Shading or shadows falling across the solar panels reduces their output and can cause permanent damage.

Siting or positioning solar panels

Before installing solar panels, a solar installer will look at two things.

1. What is the condition of your roof? A competent solar installer will not install solar panels on a roof that is either damaged or too old. Many installers will not touch a roof that is older than 10 years. Before any installation, an installer will inspect your roof to make sure it’s not too damaged or weather-worn.
2. If the roof is in good condition, the next step is to find the best place to install your solar panels. The position has to receive constant direct sunlight and not receive any shade from tree branches, chimneys, or adjacent buildings.

Shading as a result of poor positioning is the number one reason why most solar panels do not reach their peak energy production. Source

Also find out “Will Ring Solar Panel Work In Shade? Where You Should Place It!“

Orientating solar panels

The second most important factor is facing the solar panels in the right direction. There is a right direction to face or orient your solar panels and it depends on what part of the world you live in. Countries like the U.S are in the Northern Hemisphere. That means solar panels have to face south.

Why should they face south and not east or west? A south-facing solar panel will produce more energy. An east or west-facing panel will produce 15% less energy, while a north-facing panel will produce 30% less.

After positioning and orientation, the angle at which solar panels are installed is the third most important factor for achieving maximum yield.

At What Angle Solar Panels Are Installed?

Generally, solar panels should be installed between 30° to 45° off the horizontal. This ensures the solar panels are perpendicular or at a right angle to the sun allowing them to receive more sunlight throughout the day.

On a sloped or pitched roof, most homeowners opt to have the panels follow the slope of the roof. While this can reduce the energy output a little it tends to look better than raising the panels off the slope of the roof. On a flat roof, a mounting system is used to get the right angle.

While 30° is the rule of thumb it is not the most optimum or the only option. The angle can be adapted depending on your needs.

For example, if you use more energy during the summer months then you would want your solar panels to produce more energy in summer. You can achieve a higher yield in summer by subtracting 15° from your latitude to get the angle at which to tilt your panels.

California has a latitude of 37°. Subtracting 15° gives you an optimum angle of 19°.

If, however, you wanted your solar panels to produce more energy in winter you would do the opposite to get the ideal angle. In this case, you would add 15° to your latitude. If you were in California, you would add 15° to your latitude of 37° to get 54°.

Solar panels are not always installed at a fixed angle. Another option is to use a tracking system that adjusts the angle of the solar panels to follow the sun. Tracking systems are very expensive however so they are typically used on large commercial installations rather than small residential installs.

Can Solar Panels Be Installed At Ground Level?

Solar panels can be mounted on the ground as well as on rooftops. Ground mounting is an alternative to roof mounting where there isn’t adequate space to install enough solar panels to provide the required amount of energy.

There are times when it’s necessary or it makes better sense to ground mount solar panels. This may be because of a lack of adequate roof space or the roof is in a poor condition. Ground-mounted solar panels have some advantages over roof mounting.

1. As they are on the ground, this means your solar panels are within easy reach. This makes maintenance and cleaning far much easier than with roof-mounted solar panels.
2. There is potentially more space to accommodate the solar panels if you have a large land area.
3. The higher temperatures on the roof reduce the output of a solar panel. It’s much cooler on the ground.

Source

While there might be some advantages to ground mounting, there are some disadvantages you need to be aware of,

1. Ground mounting can be more expensive since there is more equipment needed to make the mounting on which the solar panels will be installed. This also adds to the labor requirement.
2. It can also take up more space. Roof mounts take advantage of unused space.
3. As they are more accessible, they are more vulnerable to tampering or vandalism.