Solar Panel Angle

Just a data point on panel performance with sun at an angle:

Today, at 47 degrees North, at clock noon, the NASA calculator says the sun’s elevation angle at my location was 52 degrees above the horizon. At that time my 400 watts of panels were horizontal with a mostly clear sky and the MPPT controller indicated 280 watts of output (70%).

I realize now I should have taken another reading with the roof tilted toward the sun by raising the rear, but I didn’t think to do it at the time. I’ll try it tomorrow if I get the truck out.
 
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I did a similar test today at clock noon and 52 degree sun angle. The sky had just a tiny bit of haze whereas yesterday was very clear. You might think haze or light cloud just reduces the solar energy to the panel, but it also causes some reflected radiation from the haze or cloud and reduces the effect of angling the panel. Today the output was 260 watts with the roof flat and 285 watts with the roof angled up. My camper is a Grandby, so the roof slope with one end up is about 2/12, or 9.5 degrees. A Hawk would be steeper at 24/80, or almost 17 degrees, so a Hawk would get more benefit from tilting the roof of a level camper toward the sun.
 

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