Solar Panel Tilt Angle Calculator
Find the optimal tilt angle for solar panels from your latitude, with year-round and seasonal recommendations and the direction to face. Runs in your browser.
Optimal panel tilt (from horizontal)
- Year-round (fixed)
- 34°
- Spring / Autumn
- 40°
- Summer
- 25°
- Winter
- 55°
Face panels toward south (true south, not magnetic).
Rules of thumb: a fixed tilt near your latitude is good year-round; tilt ~15° flatter in summer and ~15° steeper in winter to track the sun's height. The year-round figure uses the common optimized estimate (latitude × 0.76 + 3.1). These are approximations — exact optimization depends on local weather, horizon, and whether you prioritize annual or seasonal output.
About this tool
Solar panels produce the most energy when they face the sun as squarely as possible, and the best fixed tilt depends mainly on your latitude. This calculator applies the well-known rules of thumb: a tilt roughly equal to your latitude is a strong year-round compromise, while tilting about 15° flatter in summer (when the sun rides high) and 15° steeper in winter (when it stays low) captures more in each season. For a single fixed angle optimized over the whole year, it uses the common refined estimate of latitude × 0.76 + 3.1, which is slightly shallower than latitude and tends to favor the brighter half of the year. It also tells you which way to face the array — true south in the Northern Hemisphere, true north in the Southern. These are orientation guidelines, not a substitute for site-specific modeling: local cloud patterns, shading, snow, roof constraints, and whether you want to maximize annual versus winter output all shift the ideal. Everything is computed in your browser.
How to use it
- Enter your latitude (negative for the Southern Hemisphere).
- Read the year-round tilt and the seasonal adjustments.
- Note the direction to face the panels.
- Pick the year-round angle for a fixed install, or adjust seasonally if your mounts allow.
Frequently asked questions
- What tilt angle is best?
- For a fixed installation, a tilt close to your latitude is a reliable year-round choice; a slightly shallower angle (about latitude × 0.76 + 3.1) optimizes total annual output. If you can adjust seasonally, go flatter in summer and steeper in winter by roughly 15°.
- Which direction should panels face?
- Toward the equator: true south in the Northern Hemisphere and true north in the Southern. Use true (geographic) direction, not magnetic compass north, which can differ by several degrees depending on your location.
- Why tilt flatter in summer and steeper in winter?
- The sun is high in the sky in summer and low in winter. Matching the panel angle to the sun's seasonal height keeps sunlight hitting the panel more directly, so a flatter summer angle and a steeper winter angle each capture more energy than a fixed tilt.
- Should I optimize for annual or winter output?
- It depends on your goal. Maximize annual energy with the year-round angle. If your usage or grid value peaks in winter, or you want to offset short winter days, bias toward the steeper winter tilt even if annual total drops slightly.
- How precise are these angles?
- They are solid starting points based on geometry, but a few degrees either way makes little difference to annual yield (often under 1–2%). Local weather, shading, and snow shedding matter more, so do not over-optimize the exact angle.
- Is anything uploaded?
- No. The calculation runs entirely in your browser from the latitude you enter.