Solar energy industry is urged to review its approach to installing solar panels after one of the UK's leading experts, Professor Ralph Gottshalg at Loughborough University, said, quoted by the Telegraph, that too many solar panels are looking in the wrong direction.
Professor Gottshalg warns that Britain should follow Germany's recent policy of installing solar panels on roofs oriented east-west to streamline power during the day.
Conventional wisdom claims that the northern hemisphere solar panels are facing south so as to obtain the largest exposure to the sun.
Architects and installers, as a rule, always use this approach, especially when installing residential solar systems.
In November, U.S. researchers warned that the panels facing west might actually get more energy from the sun. The study was conducted by the Research Institute Pecan Street and houses covered with solar panels in Austin, Texas.
Scientists have found that homeowners with PV systems were daily facing the west side of more electricity. Also, these systems have generated more electricity in the afternoon, when the need for energy is higher. Although the increase was relatively small – just two percent – experts say that over the years, this value will be higher.
Professor Michael Wall at Loughborough University said: "There are 500,000 solar installations in the UK, facing south. To maximize the amount of energy produced by these panels, south orientation is correct. "
Wall adds that it loses about 10% of the power, if the panels are oriented east-west, but the problem exists in Germany, where, because most systems are facing south, the peak power is obtained at noon and grid barely cope.
"So, in Germany people are advised to install the panels on east-west direction, so as to pave the power of these solar panels. However, it would not make sense for people to change their solar panels, if they were already instalate.În total, we have 2.8 gigawatts of solar energy in the UK, but Germany is nearing 20 gigawatts. "
5 reasons why you can become an Add-Energy Renewable Romania PARTNER
To register your Company as ADD ENERGY PARTNER , please access 
For other informations click to 