If you have decided to install solar panels on your home, it is a sound decision and a solid investment! The next thing you need to decide is where to place them for maximum impact and savings. Conventional wisdom, at least in the northern hemisphere, suggests that facing them south will give the most sun exposure. So if you’re purchasing solar panels in Bakersfield, your first instinct may be to have them facing south. Studies suggest, however, that having them face west may actually give you more bang for your buck – that is, provide more sun exposure at peak times when prices per kilowatt are higher.
Peak demand vs. sunlight exposure
While south-facing panels may make sense at first, you have to consider the peak times that electric companies operate on. Without getting too technical, electricity prices are based on supply and demand. Demand is typically very low late at night and early in the morning, when people are asleep. As people wake up and go about their daily chores, demand starts to increase, and by the middle of the day the demand reaches its peak, as people turn on their air conditioners, watch their big screen TV’s and do their laundry. Of course, this can vary across the country, but generally, you’ll pay more for energy during the middle of the day than you would in the evening or early in the morning.
So what does this mean for your solar panels? It means that west-facing solar panels will collect the most sunlight at the times when the electric company is charging the most – in the afternoon and early evening. In fact, recent studies suggest that west-facing panels produced almost 50% more electricity during peak hours than south-facing panels. That equates to plenty of savings over the year.
Solar panels in Bakersfield can save you hundreds or even thousands of dollars if you have them placed strategically, so that they garner the most energy during peak hours.
