Section Two; Collector Layout Orientation And Siting - oventrop OVSOL System 5 Manual

Collector Layout, Orientation, and Siting
Place the collector where it will receive the maximum amount of sunlight available in your location. OVSOL
collectors may be installed on a roof, against a south facing wall, or on the ground.
Orientation
Orientation and tilt is critical to performance. The OVSOL-5 collectors should be oriented (faced) as close
to true south as practical, although they may be faced as much as 20° east or west of true south with less
than 5% loss in capacity. Because the earth's magnetic field is not aligned parallel to the earth's north-
south axis, there are some parts of the United States where the needle of a magnetic compass can point
as much as 20° east or west of true north. There are several ways to determine true south in your area.
Shading
Trees, chimneys, dormers, other buildings, new construction, and even fences may shade the collector
array, especially in the winter when sun angles are low and shadows are long. Be sure the collectors are
placed where they will be not shaded by these obstructions. As a rule, no more than 5% of the collector
area should be shaded between the hours of 9:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m. It is highly advised to make use of a
solar site selector while determining suitability for a collector site.
Angle of Inclination or Tilt Angle
For domestic water, use an optimum tilt of the site's latitude plus 5°, although the slope may be 10° greater
or less with a capacity loss of under 5% for the system. For a solar space heating system, a steeper tilt
angle is important for optimal winter performance. The steeper tilt will favor winter system operations when
the sun is low in the sky. Therefore, for space heating systems chose a tilt of latitude plus 15°.
The variation of 10° either way will not seriously affect the total annual performance of the system, all other
things being equal.
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You can consult a local surveyor, a plot
map in your local tax office, or a recent
isogonic chart of the United States
published by the U.S. Coast and
Geodetic Survey. Adjust your magnetic
compass reading according to the
meridian nearest to you. Do not use old
charts, as there are annual variations in
the readings. When using a magnetic
compass, beware of standing near large
metallic objects or power lines because
they will affect the compass readings.

section two