YashThe right tilt of the solar panels is important so that they can absorb optimum sunlight and run your electrical appliances effectively.
The tilt of the solar panel depends on the location (hemisphere and latitude) where it is installed and the declination angle of the earth.
If you want to go into details of finding the tilt of the solar panels, I have written a detailed post on “How to find the tilt of the solar panels?”
Please do check out.
India is a vast country with an area spanning around 33,00,000 km².
A solar tilt given to the panels installed at New Delhi may not be suitable for the same solar panels installed in Mumbai.
In this post, I am going to show you the best tilt for major Indian cities for your handy reference.
Who knows you might become interested in solar power after finding the name of your city in this post?:)
Also
Do check out my solar feasibility spreadsheet; it is an amazing tool that helps in designing the complete solar power system and finds the complete profitability of the system within minutes.
What is solar panel tilt?
It is the angle made by the solar panel with the horizontal surface of the ground.
When you place the solar panel on the ground, it has no tilt or it is making 0° with the ground.
And
When it is standing straight, it has a tilt of 90°
The right tilt improves the profitability of the solar power system.
What is the right tilt for your latitude?
The solar panel angle increases as you move away from the equator or the value of the latitude increases.
For example, the states located south of India such as Kerala and Tamil Nadu (near to equator) where the sun shines higher in the sky.
You need to give a low tilt to the panels with the ground to get maximum sunlight.
On another hand for the states like Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand where the sun is lower in the sky, you should give a higher tilt to the panels to capture the maximum sunlight.
How to find the best tilt for your solar panels?
The general thumb of the rule says that if you want a fixed-tilt throughout the year, it should be your latitude.
For example, the latitude of your place is 20°, you should give a tilt of 20° to your solar panels for fixed tilt throughout the year.
If you want to change twice in a year then for winter it is your latitude + 15°
And
the tilt for winters is your latitude – 15°
Taking the same example when the latitude is 20°, the winter tilt is 20° + 15° = 35°
And the summer tilt is 20° – 15° = 5°
The above angles are slightly more than what I have considered in my Solar Feasibility Spreadsheet.
The reason is that I have considered the whole day, not just the noon. In the morning and evening, the sun is lower in the sky, and to get more sunlight, we need to keep our solar panels slightly lower than the latitude of the location.
Therefore, the refined fixed solar tilt for the year becomes 0.85 x 20° = 17°
India is in the Northern hemisphere; one should face the solar panels towards the south and give a tilt of 17° with the ground to get the optimum sunlight.
Best fixed solar tilt for Indian cities
India is a sunshine country because of its location.
It lies in between latitude of 8°4’ North to 37°6’ of the Northern Hemisphere that is around the equator.
The fixed is advisable for system sizes below 10 kW because this is convenient and affordable.
While solar trackers can be used for sizes greater than 10 kW due to economies of scale.
I am going to use the simple method of finding the fixed solar tilt for Indian cities.
- Multiply the latitude of the location by 0.85 and you will get the fixed-tilt value of the solar panels.
(*This method works well in locations having latitude within 50° North or South)
Here is the list of major Indian cities:
Adjusting the solar tilt twice a year for Indian cities
If you are planning to adjust the solar tilt twice a year to get the maximum energy.
The right time to adjust the summer angle is the end of March.
And
for winter it is mid of September.
Calculating Solar Tilt twice a year for Indian cities
- The summer tilt is calculated by subtracting 15° from the latitude of the place.
- Then multiply the result by 0.7.
- The winter angle is calculated by adding 15° to the latitude of the location.
- And then multiplying the result by 1.07.
For example, a place with a latitude of 30° will have:
- Summer angle = (30° – 15 °) x 0.7 = 10.5°
- Winter angle = (30° + 15°) x 1.07 = 48.2°
Conclusion
- The solar tilt is the angle of the solar panels with the ground to get the maximum sunlight.
- The optimum tilt keeps changing because of the relative change in the position of the earth and the sun.
- The optimum tilt increases with the increase in the latitude value.
- The right tilt helps you save more and increases the profitability of the solar power system.
- Changing tilt twice a year will get you more sunlight, but it increases the overall cost of the system.
