Site latitude

The latitude of the site will affect the solar radiation collected, so it is important to tilt panels based on the latitude of the installation site. The United States lies closer to the middle latitudes, which means it receives more solar energy in the summer when the sun’s path is most perpendicular to locations below. The sun slants far south during the shorter days of the winter months when the sun follows a southern path in the sky. For this reason, solar collectors should face true south in the northern hemisphere, i.e.: