East-West solar farm: does it make sense to install a solar system on the roof?

The efficiency or performance of solar panels depends on many variables. On the list of the most important, there is certainly one, the photovoltaic installation on the roof.

East-West solar farm: does it make sense to install a solar system on the roof?

It turns out that the orientation of the modules that make up the photovoltaic installation and the angle of inclination of the solar power generation system are of great importance.

• Is it worth deciding to install east-west photovoltaics?
• What do I need to know about this option?

We present the answers to the most important questions in our post. We invite you to read!

Does the inclination of the modules matter?

When planning the assembly of a photovoltaic installation, it is convenient to know that the correct orientation of the panels is of great importance to ensure maximum efficiency of its operation. It should be noted that the active surface of the photovoltaic modules must face the sun. It is possible to achieve this when the installation destination is the roof of the building.

What position of the panels is the most recommended and chosen by investors and installers?

The most popular scenario, which is also considered optimal, with a slope of 35 degrees, is to install the modules to the south. Choosing this option gives you access to excellent quantitative effects. However, it turns out that in our country there are also many supporters of east-west photovoltaics.

Proponents of this option point to favorable parameters related to the cost and duration of power generation. What is worth knowing about the orientation of the solar panels east-west? Is this option really profitable and to whom is it recommended in particular? The answer can be found later in our post.

Panels on the east-west slopes

A photovoltaic installation is possible on a roof oriented in two directions: east and west. However, it should be noted that in this case care must be taken to evenly distribute the photovoltaic panels on two slopes and slightly oversize the installation size. The objective of these activities is to ensure the value of the energy produced by photovoltaics so that it covers the real demand of a given farm.

The specialists responsible for selecting the appropriate photovoltaic installation advise in such a situation to install a lower power inverter, while the device retains its full functionality.

Tilt of solar panels in summer and winter.

Many investors who are faced with the challenge of purchasing and installing photovoltaic installations wonder about the   efficiency of photovoltaic energy in winter  . Is this comparable to electricity production in summer? It turns out that with the inclination of the entire structure at 30 degrees, it is possible to achieve the optimal efficiency of the photovoltaic system regardless of the seasons. In practice, however, photovoltaic installations are also often used to provide electricity only in summer.

This type of installation is installed, for example, in summer houses, and the entire system can be tilted at an angle of only 10-15 degrees, of course preferably to the south.

Installation of photovoltaic solar panels with east-west orientation: when is it profitable?

The orientation of the photovoltaic panels east-west is implemented more frequently in those investments where it is impossible to place them towards the south.

Is the assembly of East-West installations more important for energy production?

It turns out that the differences in electricity generation are not very large and are only a small percentage less per year. Thus, this difference, compared to the amount of energy generated by the installation located on the southern elevation, is not significant.

• The installation of photovoltaic panels with an east-west orientation is suitable for home installations. In such installations, the greatest energy production occurs in the morning and at night.
• The photovoltaic installation turns out to be a great idea for use on flat roofs, so it is possible to mount up to 50% more modules. In addition, it is not necessary to maintain adequate distances between the modules, because they will not obstruct each other.
• It turns out that when comparing the use of roof area for photovoltaic panels, the WE (East-West) installation option is more advantageous. This allows it to occupy up to 70% of the roof surface, while with the photovoltaic directed towards the south it is around 35%.

When does the east-west installation work best?

Furthermore, WE PV is famous for its excellent low-temperature and well-ventilated performance. There is no shortage of cloudy days, and that is when energy losses are less than during sunny days. It is also good to know that, according to industry experts, the efficiency of PV panels installed only in the east or west direction, with an inclination of 25-40 degrees, will be around 80%.

It should also be noted that the east-west photovoltaic is turned on earlier and works longer than the installation with the generator directed only towards the south. However, there is a small “but”. It will be that the installation of the EC will not reach peak powers as high as the photovoltaic facing south.

Possibility of connecting segments

Although in our post we mainly talk about rooftop solar parks in the east-west option, it is also worth mentioning the possibility of dividing the installation into several segments.

It happens, therefore, that investors with a large roof with different options in terms of inclination angles or sides of the world decide to implement photovoltaic systems divided into two segments. The most popular division is southeast and southwest. What do you do in practice? Inverters can benefit from an even more efficient and effective photovoltaic installation.

Number of inverters for EC installations

The installation of east-west photovoltaic panels used to be associated with the need to buy separate inverters for each side of the roof.

However, it turns out that constant technological progress has led to the fact that today only one inverter can be successfully selected, which will fit both sides of the ceiling. Thanks to this, it will be possible to transfer even loads to the device and the efficiency of the entire photovoltaic installation will be maintained.

Buying an investor also means economic benefits: by buying a smaller and cheaper model at the same time, the investor can generate additional savings.

Optimal photovoltaic installation: how to calculate it?

The East-West photovoltaic calculator is an intelligent and very simple tool that will allow you to calculate the most important data of the future photovoltaic system. In order to take advantage of the many functionalities of this tool, it is convenient to know some of the most important information about a specific object.

So what should every potential investor know before using a solar calculator?

• First, know the amount of the current monthly costs of electricity consumption in the building.
• For this, you must also specify the location of the planned PV installation, determine the angle of the roof slope and provide its orientation.

How can you benefit from using the calculations made with the solar calculator?

• The inverter will know the size of the expected photovoltaic energy required.
• In addition, you will also obtain information on the number of panels necessary to cover the energy demand of the installation and you will know what the roof area would be for the target installation made up of photovoltaic modules.
• In addition, the investor will be able to see the estimated annual savings that would be obtained by installing photovoltaics and the initial cost of the entire investment.
• In addition, they will know the profitability threshold of the planned assembly work.

Equipped with such valuable knowledge, you will be able to proceed to the next steps related to the implementation of a modern photovoltaic installation from east to west.

It is worth emphasizing that such an investment will certainly pay off quickly and generate tangible returns, from which you can reap numerous benefits for years to come.

In a word of summary

Photovoltaic panels are classified as modern and very ecological solutions that allow the production of electricity from the sun. Furthermore, the consumption of this energy is not associated with a great cost.

However, it is worth remembering that in order for a photovoltaic installation to produce as much solar energy as possible, it is necessary to place the photovoltaic modules correctly. An extremely important issue is the correct angle of inclination of the photovoltaic modules and the careful choice of the direction in which the panels will face.

These factors will have a significant impact on the overall performance of the entire PV system.

It is worth knowing that it is considered optimal to install the installation in a south direction, but it will be equally a good idea to invest in east-west photovoltaics. It is also good to remember that when implementing the second option, the recommended angle of inclination of the panels to the horizontal is 25-40 degrees.

And what is extremely important, the installation of the photovoltaic installation on the roof must be carried out by experienced professionals from the industry. A properly trained assembly team and a competent designer will help ensure that from the moment of professional PV installation installation, it can function as efficiently and effectively as possible, generating ever-growing savings on many levels.

Invest in security

If you want to speak with our advisor about the photovoltaic installation that will provide you financial, technical and electrical security,  use the contact form below  ; we will call you back.