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Siting for Solar Collectors
Solar collectors can be installed anywhere that the sun will shine on them all
year, but are usually mounted on roofs to receive maximum exposure and to be
out of the way. Collectors should face within 20 to 30 degrees of due south,
but up to 45 degrees east or west of south may be acceptable for some systems.
The tilt angle of the glazing should be within 15 degrees of your latitude, which ranges from roughly 25 degrees near the southern border of the continental United States to approximately 50 degrees at the northern border. Higher tilt angles are preferable for systems used year-round. In determining the tilt of your collector, remember to compensate for the tilt of your roof. A slope of 4 in 12 equals 18-1/2 degrees.
The collectors for any type of solar water heater should be located as close as possible to the conventional water heater to minimize the connecting piping.
Thermosiphon and active collectors are usually located on the roof, but they can be attached to supports on the side of a house or on the ground. Because batch water heaters combine collectors and storage tanks, they are heavy and are usually mounted on the ground. However, if adequate structural support is provided, they can be placed on the roof.
