Recommends a fixed-mount PV array tilt angle from the site's latitude, using the widely published rule-of-thumb relationships: tilt equal to latitude for balanced year-round (or two-season) production, latitude+15° when biasing toward winter output (compensating for the sun's lower angle), and latitude−15° when biasing toward summer output.
Standards followed
Widely published PV tilt rule-of-thumb: tilt ≈ latitude (year-round); latitude±15° (seasonal bias) — a practical approximation, not an exact analytical optimum
What it can do
- Year-round, two-season, summer-biased, and winter-biased tilt recommendations from latitude.
- Latitude regime classification (EQUATORIAL to POLAR) for quick site context.
Example problem
35° latitude site, year-round optimization.
- Recommended tilt ≈ latitude = 35°
35° tilt — MID-LATITUDE regime.
This is a widely used rule-of-thumb, not the output of a full solar-resource/irradiance simulation — actual optimal tilt is also influenced by local cloud cover patterns, snow shedding needs, and racking/structural constraints. For performance-critical designs, cross-check against a site-specific simulation (e.g. PVsyst, NREL PVWatts) or the array manufacturer's guidance.