The Effect of Local Meteorological Conditions on the Optimal Tilt Angle of a Solar Energy Collector—A Case Study in Poland

Abstract

This study compares the potential annual energy absorption of a flat-plate solar collector at different tilt angles in Poland. Optimal tilt angles were tested in three variants: over the course of the year, in fall/winter and in spring/summer. The results were compared with automatically tracked collectors where the active surface is perpendicular to the angle at which solar radiation reaches the collector. The results were simulated based on the meteorological data. A comparison of the energy outputs of solar collectors in optimization variants 1, 2, and 3 indicates that variant 1 produces the highest energy output.