The most important part of a solar power installation is identifying where to install your solar panels. Here in Oklahoma the sun tends to sit lower in the southern sky. The rule of thumb is to point your panels south and raise them to whatever degree your latitude sits at. This means that in Tulsa, OK your solar panels should sit at an angle of 36 degrees from level. Solar panels work best when the sun is perpendicular to the panel. When the sun is at high noon on the summer solstice (in June) you should see your solar panel installation produce the most power. Tulsa receives around 2200 hours of sunlight a year.
After taking facing and elevation factors into consideration another very important factor is shade. Shade can kill solar power production. If a panel is 50% in the shade it may only produce a fraction of what it is rated to produce. Because of the way solar panels are wired, even partial shading can effect their power production. Microinverters allow an entire system to be somewhat protected from shade by equalizing voltages among multiple panels, but shading on individual panels will still impact power production. Finding a sunny spot free from shade between 9:00am – 6:00pm is paramount to making sure you are realizing your total solar power potential.
