Orienting Your Solar Array

---

It is important for proper system operation that the array be oriented true South (if you are located in the northern hemisphere). The directions of magnetic South and true South differ from one another depending on geographic location. This variance is called declination. Check the declination for your region in order to extrapolate true South from a compass heading of magnetic South. The map below shows the magnetic declination for the US. For example, central Oklahoma falls between the 8 degree E and the 10 degree E lines. This means that the north point of a compass points about 9 degrees E of true north. So true north is actually 9 degrees to the WEST of where the compass points.