Our solar power installation is now set up and in recent articles I’ve addressed how our solar installation is currently generating more than 50% more power than was initially forecasted based on NIWA data. The savings we’ve achieved have also been on the high side, cutting our bill down by around $93 during our first month and by around $150 during our second month. In fact, our monthly daytime consumption for last month, at 170 kWh, was the lowest number we have ever consumed during any month in recent memory.
A significant contributing factor to this is Otaki Motel’s geographical location. Certain features of the location and positioning of the site make it significantly more effective where it comes to solar.
Each of these items could be considered part of a pre-qualifying checklist for whether your site may be suitable for solar.
North Facing Roof
The fact that we have a roof that faces North is considered a practical requisite by most solar panel installers. The reasoning being that the position of the panels in the direction of sunlight can play a significant role in the energy generation potential of said installation.
Roof Tilted At Between 20 and 30 Degrees
A tilt of the roof at 20 to 30 Degrees is ideal for solar, and again is considered to be something of a prerequisite for solar installations. This tilt enables the panels to gain close to maximum exposure from daylight over the span of the day.
No Occlusion From Trees
The fact that we are located on a broad open plain means that we can receive direct sunlight at all times during the day. While a few trees here and there might not make a huge difference to solar, it does mean that for a longer period of time we can receive direct sunlight.
Significant Number of Average Daylight Hours
Surprisingly, Otaki is not one of the most sunny locations in New Zealand, despite its long-standing and dare I say cheesy motto. It is, however, a location that according to this graph receives a decent amount of average annual sunlight, which our micro inverters no doubt help to convert.
Other factors that we don’t have, but that would also make a positive contribution to energy generation potential:
Location Next To a Lake
If you don’t naturally have this feature then there’s not a lot you can do to change it; but, nevertheless, in the opinions of our esteemed solar installation specialists, locating solar panels at or near a lake can make a significant difference to your solar energy generation. This is because you not only receive the rays directly from the sun. You also receive the rays reflected from the water.
Now that it’s all up and running and installed, it’s plain for me to see that these simple geographical features do make a significant difference to the savings we recognise through our solar power system. While it’s difficult to put a value on any one contributing factor, I’m hope that with future installations, I will obtain more of a ‘gut feel’ for which sites will be the best.
