Making the decision for the
direction
and angle of your solar collector
installation:
Installation of the direction and angle is the most
important aspect of solar panel performance as these two
angles will effect the solar collector efficiency and ultimately
dollars in your pocket.For the optimum collector
performance angle in the southern hemisphere,solar hot
water collectors should face solar north.Northern hemisphere
solar collectors should face solar south.
Use a compass to check solar collector orientation:
.
Maximum residential solar collector efficiency will be
gained if you ensure that the solar collectors are not
shaded by buildings or nearby trees, particularly in
winter when the sun is lower in the sky.
For best solar performance, solar collectors need to
be installed at roughly the same angle as the
latitude
at your residential or commercial site.This
maximises
the amount of sunlight falling on the solar
collector.
For example:
Hong Kong,China has a latitude of 22 deg nth- the
solar collector angle should therefore face
south at
an angle of 22 degs.
Auckland,New Zealand has a latitude of 36 degs south-
the solar collector angle should therefore face north
at an angle of 36 degs.
You dont have to be exact about mounting the solar
collector at the suggested angle.The added trouble
of adjusting the collector to an exact angle is not
warranted as it will not result in a great improvement
in collection efficiency.
For maximum winter performance,solar collectors
should be installed at an angle 5° to 10° greater than
the angle of latitude at the site.
Roof pitch angles in New Zealand / Australia are
Roof pitch angles in New Zealand / Australia are
commonly between 20°and 30°.The cost is lower and
usually more aesthetically pleasing to install
solar
collectors flush with the roof,rather than use supports
to achieve a greater solar collector angle.
Performance in winter may be slightly reduced, but
the benefits usually outweigh the cost.
Keeping within the 20 degrees either side of north or
south,depending which hemisphere you are in will
produce the best solar collector performance results.
The proceedure to correctly install your collector
angle is without a doubt the single most important
aspect of a solar installation,closely followed by the
distance between cylinder and solar collector,the solar
controller settings,plus the quality of installation.
Can you install a solar hot water
heating system anywhere in NZ:?
Solar hot water heaters function very well from the far
north, to the lower south island,although the solar
contributions vary depending on the latitude and the
time of year. Solar water heating systems can produce
around 75% to 100% of a household hotwater heating
in summer and between 25 & 45% in winter.
Solar tube calculator:
When determining how many solar tubes you need,you
have to consider two key factors:Insolation level and
energy requirements.Energy requirement will usually take
into consideration the volume of water and the rise in
temperature required. The bigger the solarwater collector
you have ,the more hot water and rise in temperature,
but you should make an economically sound decision.
Generally it is wise to select a size which will provide you
with 90-100% of your hot water needs in the hottest
months.
An easy guide to sun angle: is on a
sunny day at noon to hold a stick up until there is no
shadow....that is the perfect direction to point the
solar collector panel...but yes...nth is the simple
answer in the southern hemisphere.
Insolation level in your area: not to
be confused with insulation.
Visit NASA
http://eosweb.larc.nasa.gov/sse/
http://eosweb.larc.nasa.gov/sse/
click - on Meteorology & solar energy
click - desired map location,enter latitude & longditude
of your area.
You will have to log in
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