A common question is where do my solar panels need to be pointed to maximize the amount of Solar Energy from my solar panels. This answer asumes that you are not using a solar tracker that tracks the sun movement across the sky.

Unless you are installing solar panels yorself, you will not need to worry about this.

The rule of thumb is that you should point your panels south and tilt them to the Latitude at which your location is at. During the Winter time you will add 15 degrees to your latitude. During the Summer time you subtract 15 degrees from your latitude.

For example Dallas, Texas has a latitude of 32.78°. During the Summer you should subtract 15° from your latitude giving you an angle of 17.78° (32.78° - 15° = 17.78°) . During the Winter time you will add 15° which will give you an angle for your solar panels of 47.78° (32.78° + 15° = 47.78°).

 

Solar Radiation

The chart below shows the average daily solar radiation per month. It gives you an idea of how much solar radiation your location can expect on average per month. Higher Solar radiation means more electricity from your solar panels.

(click on chart below to enlarge)