Browse Forums Eco Living 1 Aug 16, 2010 8:37 pm So husband wants solar power which is great except our house faces north so he wants them on the front of the house but i want them on the west (but means we loose about 30% of their power apparently). Wondering if anyone else has them on the front of their house and if they have any photos? Re: North Facing House - Solar Panels 2Aug 17, 2010 9:53 am Hi there. cant help you with pics but we are building a new home that faces north. As it is in our guidelines that no solar panels on the front of the house, we have had to place them on the west side of the home. since we loose sunlight, we have had to purchase an extra solar panel. I have seen solar panels on the front in other estates and personally really dont like them. Good luck in winning the fight.lol Forrester 43sq We have our keys (3/6/11) Now it's time to decorate (that's the fun part.lol) https://forum.homeone.com.au/viewtopic.php?f=31&t=37598 Re: North Facing House - Solar Panels 3Aug 18, 2010 3:17 pm Thanks. Unfortunatly our estate allows it - already tried that one haha. I'm winning so far as option now is on the west on not at all haha Re: North Facing House - Solar Panels 5Aug 18, 2010 4:17 pm Personally I like it(seeing them) as then I know someone cares enough to put them up Should be looked at as if they are generating power and not dirty fuel. Also could be considered a status symbol you can be proud of IMHO only The best place for installation is where the installer says the most efficent spot is. Where you are coming from is where you are going to... Re: North Facing House - Solar Panels 7Aug 19, 2010 10:09 am We will prob end up with them on the front - i was just wanting to see photos of others who have too Re: North Facing House - Solar Panels 8Aug 19, 2010 10:13 am we have same issue and have them on west side of house which gets a ridiculous amount of sun Caz & Co ALL MOVED IN!! Now comes all the hard work-decorating.... [b]Blog: http://cazoraz.blogspot.com/ Settling in Thread: viewtopic.php?f=31&t=36993 Re: North Facing House - Solar Panels 9Aug 19, 2010 10:43 am cazoraz we have same issue and have them on west side of house which gets a ridiculous amount of sun I agrre with this. A lot of people are under the mistaken impression that North facing is cruicial. However, if you track the locus of the sun during winter/summer, you will notice that it is very low in the horizon in the morning, but it rapidly gains elevation such that by afternoon, it heading more towards the WNW direction . Therefore placing the panels in the western direction, will not reduce your heat input/electricity output by any significant amount. Suburbia is where the developer bulldozes out the trees, then names the streets after them. Re: North Facing House - Solar Panels 10Aug 19, 2010 11:00 am I say get them on the side. Forrester 43sq We have our keys (3/6/11) Now it's time to decorate (that's the fun part.lol) https://forum.homeone.com.au/viewtopic.php?f=31&t=37598 Re: North Facing House - Solar Panels 11Aug 19, 2010 4:29 pm Awesome thanks xanthrope. Will show my husband your reply! Re: North Facing House - Solar Panels 12Aug 19, 2010 8:23 pm I would proudly have them on the front of the house. Go for north facing and get the maximum power output. Demolition August 2009, Construction Started September 2009, Completed December 2010 Re: North Facing House - Solar Panels 13Aug 19, 2010 8:38 pm You can get an accurate idea about solar gain for any azimuth or elevation with this calculator. http://www.pvwatts.org/ You would struggle to get more than 80% efficiency with a due west aspect. Like ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅ Re: North Facing House - Solar Panels 14Aug 19, 2010 9:49 pm another great post Dymo thanks for your efforts Where you are coming from is where you are going to... Re: North Facing House - Solar Panels 15Jun 07, 2012 11:26 pm Hi We have the same dilemma. But hubby and I are agree that the front of the house is a no-no (resale, aesthetics, etc). We're interested to hear how others are going with having them positioned facing west... we were told by a solar company doing a quote today to expect a 15% drop in efficiency. Significant but isn't any solar better than no solar at all? The system would take longer to pay off but we do plan on being here for 10+ years so if we choose a system now and the price of electricity rises wouldn't it mean we're better off in the long run? Re: North Facing House - Solar Panels 16Jun 08, 2012 12:35 am i am building a new house - facing north and is having panels in the front of the house. my roof is light as well but i will prefer to have maximum use of panels, so definetely in the front. Re: North Facing House - Solar Panels 17Jun 08, 2012 2:23 pm When I get solar panels, they will also go on the front of the house. If done right, will look better than no panels. Demolition August 2009, Construction Started September 2009, Completed December 2010 Re: North Facing House - Solar Panels 18Jun 08, 2012 5:55 pm We have a north facing house and will have our solar panels on the West. I think they're an eyesore, even if they are good for the environment. It's about time someone more fully developed better integrated panels. I understand there are some you can use as roof tiles, which sounds fantastic, but apparently they're too expensive at the moment. Re: North Facing House - Solar Panels 19Jun 09, 2012 1:28 pm Casa2 When I get solar panels, they will also go on the front of the house. If done right, will look better than no panels. I agree. While mine are on north-facing and I have to walk up the neighbor's driveway to see them from the ground, there are black panels (name escapes me) that blend in well with darker roofs, but even with the basic panels I think you get used to them much like the evap aircon unit, vents, flues, whirlybirds etc. Using Google Earth or NearMap you can see panels on varying directions, some obviously wrong too Arfur Re: North Facing House - Solar Panels 20Jun 10, 2012 3:37 pm Take a look at http://www.ausenergy.com.au/pdf/sunpower_205.pdf for one sexy looking panel. It's what I'll use when I finally get around to solar panels. Also, take a look at www.inhabitat.com/2005/06/10/solar-panel-roof-tiles Demolition August 2009, Construction Started September 2009, Completed December 2010 The warning is on the sticker on the door too. Second the aluminium powdercoat 6 18198 Petercurtis You able to contact the certifier and get a copy of your structural plans, if they are not in your contract. If your home was approved via CDC then they… 1 20173 It might be a bit darker in the mornings but the light is still light, so you should be getting it. Similar to what you see from your western windows 3 19987 |