Loading the page...
Preparing tools and content for you. This usually takes a second.
Preparing tools and content for you. This usually takes a second.
Fetching calculator categories and tools for this section.
Free solar panel angle calculator for fixed arrays. Get rule-of-thumb tilt from latitude with optional summer or winter bias, plus true azimuth toward the equator. Browse more in our energy and sustainability calculator category.
Last updated: April 18, 2026
Need a branded solar geometry widget for your site? Get a Quote
Enter magnitude (0–90°). Choose hemisphere below (e.g., 34° S as 34 + Southern).
Tilt from horizontal
40.7°
Azimuth (true)
180°
Reference
Northern hemisphere: face panels south (azimuth 180°) for typical grid-tied installs in the Americas and Europe.
Latitude used: 40.7° — Mode: annual
Planning note
Use case
Balanced yield
Common starting point when you want a single fixed tilt for the whole year.
Sun higher
Peak cooling load
Useful when optimizing for high summer production or self-consumption in hot climates.
Sun lower
Heating season
Helpful when winter kWh are most valuable or loads peak in shorter days.
Same as annual
Tilt ≈ latitude
Matches the annual rule in this simplified model for shoulder-season planning.
N vs S hemisphere
180° vs 0°
South in the northern hemisphere, north in the southern hemisphere, measured as true azimuth.
Workflow
Sizing + ROI
Use panel sizing and payback calculators after locking orientation assumptions.
At 40.7° N latitude, annual mode: recommended tilt 40.7°, azimuth 180° (south).
This tool applies widely used rule-of-thumb relationships between site latitude and fixed-array tilt. For annual or shoulder-season goals, tilt is set approximately equal to latitude. For summer-heavy production, tilt is reduced by about 15 degrees, and for winter-heavy production, increased by about 15 degrees, each clamped to sensible bounds. Azimuth points the array toward the equator: south in the northern hemisphere and north in the southern hemisphere, expressed as degrees true.
Annual / spring-fall tilt ≈ latitudeSummer tilt ≈ latitude − 15°Winter tilt ≈ latitude + 15°These heuristics are educational baselines. Production and financial optima require irradiance data and hourly simulation.
Continue with solar panel sizing and solar ROI tools.
Get a custom calculator for your platformCompare summer and winter modes in the calculator to bracket how tilt changes under the same latitude.
Share it with homeowners and designers planning PV orientation