SunYieldMap

Which way should solar panels face?

Compared with south-facing panels at a 20° tilt, here is the median change across the 100 cities. Tilting to the latitude is the best fixed layout in 99 of them; west beats east in 45.

The patterns behind these medians: how panel direction and tilt change output. Try any layout for one city in the yield estimator.

City by city

Yearly kWh per kW for a 20° south-facing roof, then the change for each other layout. Bold marks the best fixed layout for that city. The tracker is a ground mount.

  1. Albuquerque, NM1,779+2.5%−12.7%−13.5%−16.3%+18.0%
  2. Anaheim, CA1,673+1.5%−11.0%−15.7%−11.3%+18.9%
  3. Anchorage, AK951+3.3%−15.9%−17.5%−16.0%+6.3%
  4. Arlington, TX1,545+1.4%−10.7%−13.6%−12.7%+16.7%
  5. Atlanta, GA1,416+1.2%−10.3%−12.2%−13.1%+15.9%
  6. Aurora, CO1,612+4.0%−14.3%−15.0%−17.3%+16.1%
  7. Austin, TX1,483+0.5%−8.7%−12.9%−9.9%+17.2%
  8. Bakersfield, CA1,684+1.3%−10.9%−13.9%−12.9%+19.8%
  9. Baltimore, MD1,392+2.8%−13.2%−15.0%−15.8%+12.9%
  10. Billings, MT1,334+4.7%−15.5%−15.7%−18.7%+13.7%
  11. Boise, ID1,468+2.6%−13.5%−15.4%−15.5%+17.5%
  12. Boston, MA1,275+3.1%−13.6%−15.0%−16.4%+13.2%
  13. Bridgeport, CT1,291+2.6%−13.0%−14.9%−15.5%+12.1%
  14. Buffalo, NY1,202+1.8%−11.7%−13.7%−13.7%+14.0%
  15. Burlington, VT1,222+3.8%−13.9%−15.4%−15.8%+14.0%
  16. Chandler, AZ1,753+1.9%−11.5%−13.7%−14.3%+19.6%
  17. Charleston, SC1,455+1.2%−10.4%−12.8%−13.1%+15.8%
  18. Charleston, WV1,219+1.4%−10.8%−13.3%−12.8%+15.0%
  19. Charlotte, NC1,391+1.8%−11.3%−13.2%−14.2%+14.8%
  20. Cheyenne, WY1,554+4.7%−15.1%−15.7%−17.6%+15.5%
  21. Chicago, IL1,333+2.5%−13.0%−15.1%−15.0%+14.3%
  22. Chula Vista, CA1,728+1.6%−11.0%−15.1%−11.7%+17.8%
  23. Cincinnati, OH1,273+2.1%−11.7%−13.3%−14.5%+13.9%
  24. Cleveland, OH1,255+1.3%−11.4%−14.2%−13.1%+14.4%
  25. Colorado Springs, CO1,629+4.0%−14.4%−14.5%−17.8%+16.2%
  26. Columbus, OH1,296+2.0%−12.0%−13.5%−14.5%+13.8%
  27. Corpus Christi, TX1,542+0.2%−7.5%−11.2%−9.4%+18.3%
  28. Dallas, TX1,500+1.2%−10.4%−13.7%−12.0%+16.7%
  29. Denver, CO1,602+4.0%−14.2%−15.1%−17.0%+15.0%
  30. Des Moines, IA1,367+3.5%−14.2%−17.0%−15.0%+14.3%
  31. Detroit, MI1,295+2.1%−12.6%−13.9%−15.2%+14.5%
  32. Durham, NC1,360+2.1%−11.5%−13.5%−14.2%+14.7%
  33. El Paso, TX1,835+1.8%−11.3%−13.1%−14.0%+19.9%
  34. Fargo, ND1,304+5.0%−16.1%−18.2%−16.6%+13.4%
  35. Fort Worth, TX1,535+1.5%−10.7%−13.8%−12.4%+16.7%
  36. Fresno, CA1,654+1.3%−11.2%−13.5%−13.7%+20.1%
  37. Gilbert, AZ1,750+1.8%−11.3%−13.3%−14.4%+19.7%
  38. Greensboro, NC1,444+2.1%−12.0%−14.2%−14.4%+14.4%
  39. Henderson, NV1,769+2.7%−13.0%−14.0%−16.6%+18.7%
  40. Honolulu, HI1,586−0.1%−4.5%−7.0%−7.6%+21.7%
  41. Houston, TX1,421+0.5%−8.4%−11.0%−11.0%+17.8%
  42. Huntsville, AL1,387+1.5%−10.6%−12.6%−13.3%+15.8%
  43. Indianapolis, IN1,332+2.3%−12.4%−14.0%−14.8%+13.8%
  44. Irvine, CA1,664+1.8%−11.4%−15.8%−11.9%+17.8%
  45. Jackson, MS1,428+0.9%−9.5%−12.0%−11.9%+17.2%
  46. Jacksonville, FL1,455+0.8%−9.2%−10.7%−13.0%+16.8%
  47. Jersey City, NJ1,305+2.7%−13.4%−15.0%−15.7%+13.1%
  48. Kansas City, MO1,445+3.1%−13.4%−15.9%−15.0%+14.4%
  49. Las Vegas, NV1,754+2.8%−12.8%−14.1%−15.9%+19.0%
  50. Lexington, KY1,342+1.9%−11.7%−13.8%−13.8%+14.5%
  51. Lincoln, NE1,471+4.2%−14.8%−17.0%−16.1%+14.5%
  52. Little Rock, AR1,370+1.3%−10.4%−13.1%−12.5%+16.3%
  53. Long Beach, CA1,678+1.5%−11.1%−16.3%−10.9%+17.7%
  54. Los Angeles, CA1,679+1.6%−11.2%−15.9%−11.5%+18.0%
  55. Louisville, KY1,344+2.1%−11.8%−13.8%−14.1%+14.2%
  56. Madison, WI1,314+2.6%−13.8%−15.2%−15.9%+14.5%
  57. Manchester, NH1,255+4.6%−14.4%−15.5%−16.6%+13.9%
  58. Memphis, TN1,439+1.6%−11.2%−13.5%−13.5%+16.0%
  59. Mesa, AZ1,751+1.9%−11.4%−13.7%−14.1%+19.7%
  60. Miami, FL1,558+0.4%−7.8%−9.5%−11.4%+18.7%
  61. Milwaukee, WI1,338+3.2%−13.7%−15.9%−15.4%+13.9%
  62. Minneapolis, MN1,333+4.8%−15.6%−16.7%−17.3%+13.6%
  63. Nashville, TN1,338+1.5%−11.0%−12.5%−14.0%+15.0%
  64. New Orleans, LA1,521+1.0%−9.7%−11.6%−12.7%+16.7%
  65. New York, NY1,353+3.5%−14.0%−16.1%−16.0%+12.5%
  66. Newark, NJ1,306+2.9%−13.2%−15.0%−15.6%+12.9%
  67. North Las Vegas, NV1,784+3.2%−13.2%−14.3%−16.4%+18.8%
  68. Oakland, CA1,582+1.9%−12.1%−16.7%−12.3%+16.8%
  69. Oklahoma City, OK1,542+2.1%−11.9%−15.1%−13.3%+16.5%
  70. Omaha, NE1,431+4.1%−14.5%−16.3%−16.0%+14.3%
  71. Orlando, FL1,507+0.7%−8.9%−9.0%−14.0%+17.4%
  72. Philadelphia, PA1,348+2.9%−13.3%−15.0%−15.8%+13.6%
  73. Phoenix, AZ1,755+2.0%−11.7%−13.7%−14.7%+19.1%
  74. Pittsburgh, PA1,191+1.2%−10.8%−12.3%−13.8%+14.6%
  75. Plano, TX1,527+1.4%−10.6%−14.0%−12.1%+17.0%
  76. Portland, ME1,316+4.6%−15.1%−16.9%−16.5%+12.8%
  77. Portland, OR1,121+0.6%−11.7%−15.6%−11.8%+15.2%
  78. Providence, RI1,294+3.6%−13.9%−15.8%−15.8%+13.8%
  79. Raleigh, NC1,370+1.8%−11.3%−13.4%−13.8%+15.2%
  80. Reno, NV1,667+3.0%−13.2%−14.2%−16.3%+18.9%
  81. Riverside, CA1,719+1.7%−11.3%−14.9%−12.6%+19.2%
  82. Sacramento, CA1,614+1.5%−11.7%−14.6%−13.7%+19.5%
  83. Salt Lake City, UT1,485+2.7%−12.9%−14.5%−15.4%+16.6%
  84. San Antonio, TX1,504+0.6%−8.7%−12.9%−9.9%+17.3%
  85. San Diego, CA1,682+1.5%−10.9%−15.7%−11.2%+17.3%
  86. San Francisco, CA1,548+1.8%−11.8%−15.9%−12.3%+16.0%
  87. San Jose, CA1,624+1.4%−11.3%−15.5%−12.2%+18.7%
  88. Santa Ana, CA1,676+1.6%−11.2%−16.9%−10.4%+17.9%
  89. Seattle, WA1,088+0.9%−12.6%−16.2%−13.3%+14.3%
  90. Sioux Falls, SD1,409+4.9%−15.4%−17.5%−16.1%+14.2%
  91. St. Louis, MO1,388+2.2%−12.4%−14.7%−14.5%+14.6%
  92. St. Paul, MN1,325+5.0%−15.5%−17.0%−16.7%+13.7%
  93. Stockton, CA1,624+1.3%−11.4%−13.9%−13.8%+19.7%
  94. Tampa, FL1,568+0.8%−9.2%−10.3%−13.4%+17.5%
  95. Tucson, AZ1,788+1.9%−11.3%−12.5%−14.8%+19.5%
  96. Tulsa, OK1,470+2.0%−11.7%−14.9%−13.0%+15.9%
  97. Virginia Beach, VA1,434+1.9%−11.7%−14.2%−13.9%+14.1%
  98. Washington, DC1,392+2.9%−13.2%−15.4%−15.4%+12.7%
  99. Wichita, KS1,526+2.7%−13.0%−15.6%−14.6%+15.5%
  100. Wilmington, DE1,364+2.8%−13.2%−14.8%−15.8%+12.6%