Viessmann Vitosol
100 Technical Manual page 7

Inclination and orientation of collectors
To achieve optimum energy absorption,
the collectors must be oriented towards
the sun.
The angle of inclination and the azimuth
angle are the dimensions used to
determine the orientation of the
collectors.
Example:
Deviation from south: 15º east
VITOSOL
A Collector plane
B Azimuth angle
1.2 Solar energy
Angle of inclination a
The angle of inclination a is the angle
between the horizontal and the collector
plane.
For pitched roof installations, the angle of
inclination is determined by the slope of
the roof. The largest amount of energy
can be captured by the collector's
absorber, when the collector plane is
aligned at right angles to the irradiation
of the sun. Because the angle of
irradiation depends on the time of day
and the time of year, the collector plane
should be aligned according to the
position of the sun during the phase of
maximum energy supply.
In practice, angles of inclination of
between 30º and 55º have proven to be
ideal.
For the Federal Republic of Germany, for
example, an angle of inclination of
between 25º and 70º is advantageous,
depending on the period of use.
Azimuth angle
The azimuth angle describes the
deviation of the collector plane from
south; the collector plane aligned to the
south is the azimuth angle = 0º.
Because solar irradiation is at its most
intensive at midday, the collector plane
should be oriented as closely as possible
to the south. However, deviations from
south up to 45º south−east or south−west
are also acceptable.
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