For those who are not part of a tou model with their utility company the direction that you want to face your solar panels is south.
Best direction for solar panels australia.
In fact all southern hemisphere locations should ideally position panels in a northerly direction.
The most optimum direction to face your solar panels is somewhere between south and west.
Solar panels work best when the light hitting them comes in at a 90º angle so the ideal tilt for australian sun is at 32º.
East west if you are on a low 6 12 cent feed in tariff and you want to maximise your morning and afternoon production.
If your roof does not face the right direction then surface mounted panels or pole mounted panels may be your best bet.
In darwin south facing panels only produce about 15 less electricity overall than north facing panels but as the northern territory still has a high feed in tariff the most cost effective direction to face solar modules is north.
North if you are on an old 44 52 cent feed in tariff and want to sell power back to the grid.
If your property is located in the northern hemisphere panels facing south will perform best.
The worst direction for solar panels.
It is at this location that your panels will receive the maximum sunlight throughout the day.
For most people in australia the direction you want your solar panels to face is true north and with between 20 50 degrees of tilt depending on how southern or northern you are.
Due north is the best direction for panels to be facing in the non tropical southern hemisphere anyway although even this is not ideal as the sun moves through the sky during the day and even a north facing array will therefore receive varying amounts of sunlight throughout the day.
Variations in the tilt can make a big difference to efficiency though not as marked as with orientation so strive for somewhere between 20 40º.
Which direction should solar panels face.
Anything more or less than this will reduce efficiency far too much.