Azimuth (deg)

For a fixed array, the azimuth angle is the angle clockwise from true north describing the direction that the array faces. An azimuth angle of 180° is for a south-facing array, and an azimuth angle of zero degrees is for a north-facing array.

For an array with one-axis tracking, the azimuth angle is the angle clockwise from true north of the axis of rotation. The azimuth angle does not apply to arrays with two-axis tracking.

The default value is an azimuth angle of 180° (south-facing) for locations in the northern hemisphere and 0° (north-facing) for locations in the southern hemisphere. These values typically maximize electricity production over the year, although local weather patterns may cause the optimal azimuth angle to be slightly more or less than the default values. For the northern hemisphere, increasing the azimuth angle favors afternoon energy production, and decreasing the azimuth angle favors morning energy production. The opposite is true for the southern hemisphere.