Magnetic Declination Solar Panels

Some compasses allow the declination to be set if yours does then just set your local declination and you are good to go.

Magnetic declination solar panels.

Search the web for magnetic declination to find the correction for your location. If the declination is west of the magnetic south then you add the declination value to the magnetic south to get the true south â let us say you have your solar power system in new york city. After finding it on the internet the magnetic declination 13 0 and 28 minutes east. Gently pull out the brass tab located to the outside of the compass about to release the magnetic declination dial the center triangle and black disk.

If not then on each compass reading you must offset the compass needle from the true north mark on the compass by the declination angle. The solar pathfinder has an adjustment feature to compensate for magnetic declination. Books and articles on solar energy often give the advice that the tilt should be equal to your latitude plus 15 degrees in winter or minus 15 degrees in summer. Using magnetic declination information on the solar pathfinder.

The next question is at what angle from horizontal should the panels be tilted. If a magnetic compass alone is used to determine where to point the array you may not capture the maximum amount of solar radiation. If your magnetic declination is east positive rotate your panels west. If you live in san diego california your magnetic declination is about 11 east.

Magnetic declination the angle difference between magnetic south and true solar south must also be taken into account when determining proper solar array or solar panel orientation. Begin with a compass to find magnetic north and accordingly south. Two examples to demonstrate the difference. If your magnetic declination is west negative rotate your panels east.

Click on the map to find the magnetic declination at your location. Calculate the exact southern orientation for positioning your panels. In any pv system related project we tend to set up solar panels to face the solar south rather than the magnetic south.