Good information here, lets just hope when pointing the panels 194 degrees (true south) there are nothing shading the area.
-Deep Patel
http://www.gogreensolar.com
Good Morning my magnetic declination in the Toronto,Ontario Canada area is 10 degrees 20′ west if magnetic south is 180 which way and how far do I move to find true south
So you would subtract about 10 degrees from your compass so that true south is around 170 Doug.
The answers are a bit misleading. For Example #1 in California, You would point the compass at 194 degrees but orient your panels at the S that is still fixed on the compass.
Or you could point the needle North-South and face the panels at 166 degrees on the compass.
Hey Guys, You are all technically correct in the abstract yet more considerations must be made. If your area is typically foggy or cloudy in the morning, you are better off facing the panels slightly W of S to maximize gain during the afternoon. Likewise with shading, which you want to avoid at all costs, but if you have some WxSW trees and clear skies in the morning, you are better off facing the panels E of S. Get an experienced local installer to properly evaluate your particular site.
Gentlemen,
Are there any figures on power loss as you move away from true south. My house is about 12 degrees west of true south. How bad does this hurt me.
Thanks,
Mike
Hey, Mike.
It’s not going to hurt you all that much. You’re going to lose a little bit of power production, but that’s not a big deal. Your roof does NOT have to face exactly South, true or not. Plenty of systems get installed on Western systems and Eastern and South Eastern etc. North, now that’s a problem.
Assuming you’ve got good subsidies, net metering, and good sun, it’s still going to be very cost effective for you. Being a few degrees off South will just mean that it will take you slightly longer for payback. Perhaps 10 years and two months, for example, instead of 10 years. It will be minor.
Hope that helps.