Array Spacing Calculator

Calculate minimum row spacing to avoid inter-row shading based on tilt angle, latitude, and panel dimensions.

Tilt angle of the solar panels from horizontal in degrees. Typical range is 10-45 degrees depending on latitude.
degrees
Geographic latitude of the installation. Used to determine worst-case sun angle (winter solstice) for shading analysis.
degrees N
The height/width of the panel along its tilted surface (not the vertical projection). Standard residential panels are about 1.7-2.0 meters.
Degrees the array faces away from true south (0 = due south, positive = west, negative = east). Most arrays face due south (0).
degrees

Results

Minimum Row Spacing-m
Ground Coverage Ratio (GCR)-%
Winter Solstice Sun Altitude-degrees
Shadow Length at Noon (Solstice)-m
References:
Row spacing based on winter solstice (Dec 21) noon sun altitude. Solar altitude = arcsin(sin(lat)*sin(-23.45) + cos(lat)*cos(-23.45)). Shadow = vertical_projection / tan(sun_altitude). Spacing = horizontal_projection + shadow * cos(azimuth_offset). GCR = panel_width*cos(tilt) / spacing.