A Practical Approach for Estimating the Optimum Tilt Angle of a Photovoltaic Panel for a Long Period—Experimental Recorded Data

In this study, recorded empirical data were applied with a practical approach to investigate the optimal tilt angle of the flat plate collectors facing south for a long period in Tehran, Iran. The data included 20 years of recorded average total radiation on the horizontal plane in Tehran’s meteorological station. Based on the previous studies, the annual optimum tilt angle for Tehran was estimated at 33 degrees annually; however, this estimation does not focus on the energy absorption and effectiveness of changing the tilt angle monthly, seasonally, and bi-annually via measured data. This paper aims to explain this distinction between various radiation receptions with different tilt angle adjustments. This study shows that annual solar cumulative radiation energy gained via a monthly tilt angle can be approximately 7% higher than that achieved with an annual tilt angle setup. Additionally, the seasonal and bi-annual tilt angles have about 6% more annual cumulative radiation absorption than the annual tilt angle setup. Moreover, with consideration of similar monthly received radiation, the results illustrate that the radiation gained with a monthly tilt angle set up was 20% greater in the summer months than an annual tilt angle adjustment.