Enter the latitude and day of the year into the calculator to determine the optimal tilt angle for solar panels. This calculator can also evaluate any of the variables given the others are known.
Solar Tilt Formula
The following formula is used to calculate the optimal tilt angle for solar panels.
T = L - 23.45 * cos((360/365) * (d + 10))
Variables:
- T is the tilt angle (degrees)
- L is the latitude of the location (degrees)
- d is the day of the year (1 through 365)
To calculate the optimal tilt angle for solar panels, first find the latitude of the location. Then, multiply the cosine of the product of 360 divided by 365 and the day of the year plus 10 by 23.45. Subtract this result from the latitude to get the tilt angle.
What is a Solar Tilt?
A solar tilt refers to the angle at which a solar panel is set to maximize its exposure to the sun. The optimal solar tilt angle is usually the same as the latitude of the location where the panel is installed. This angle can change throughout the year depending on the season and the movement of the sun. Adjusting the solar tilt can help to increase the efficiency and energy output of the solar panel.
How to Calculate Solar Tilt?
The following steps outline how to calculate the Solar Tilt using the given formula:
- First, determine the latitude of the location (L) in degrees.
- Next, determine the day of the year (d) ranging from 1 to 365.
- Next, calculate the tilt angle (T) using the formula: T = L – 23.45 * cos((360/365) * (d + 10)).
- Finally, calculate the Solar Tilt angle.
- After inserting the values of L and d into the formula, calculate the result.
Example Problem:
Use the following variables as an example problem to test your knowledge:
Latitude (L) = 40 degrees
Day of the year (d) = 180
