Quinns Rocks, Western Australia, located in the Southern Sub Tropics, offers a promising environment for solar energy generation throughout the year. The location's potential for solar power production varies significantly across seasons, with summer being the most productive period.

Seasonal Solar Performance

During summer, solar panels in Quinns Rocks can generate an impressive 8.92 kWh per day for each kilowatt of installed capacity. This high output makes summer the ideal time for solar energy production. Spring follows as the second-most productive season, with a daily output of 7.20 kWh per kW installed.

Autumn sees a decrease in solar generation, producing 4.86 kWh per day per kW installed. Winter experiences the lowest output, with 3.37 kWh per day per kW installed. Despite the winter dip, the location still maintains a reasonable level of solar energy production year-round.

Optimal Panel Installation

To maximize year-round solar energy production in Quinns Rocks, fixed solar panels should be tilted at an angle of 27 degrees facing North. This angle optimizes the panels' exposure to sunlight throughout the year, accounting for the Earth's elliptical orbit and the location's specific latitude.

Environmental Considerations

While Quinns Rocks generally provides favorable conditions for solar energy production, there are a few environmental factors to consider:

• Coastal location: Proximity to the ocean may expose solar panels to salt spray, potentially leading to corrosion over time.
• Wind: The area can experience strong winds, which might affect panel stability if not properly secured.

To mitigate these factors, installers should use corrosion-resistant materials and ensure robust mounting systems. Regular cleaning and maintenance can also help prevent salt buildup and maintain optimal performance.

Overall, Quinns Rocks presents an excellent location for solar PV installations, with high potential for energy generation, particularly during the summer and spring months. With proper installation and maintenance, solar panels in this area can provide significant and reliable renewable energy throughout the year.

Note: The Southern Sub Tropics extend from -23.5° latitude South down to -35° latitude.

So far, we have conducted calculations to evaluate the solar photovoltaic (PV) potential in 501 locations across Australia. This analysis provides insights into each city/location's potential for harnessing solar energy through PV installations.

Link: Solar PV potential in Australia by location

Solar output per kW of installed solar PV by season in Quinns Rocks

Seasonal solar PV output for Latitude: -31.6648, Longitude: 115.6956 (Quinns Rocks, Australia), based on our analysis of 8760 hourly intervals of solar and meteorological data (one whole year) retrieved for that set of coordinates/location from NASA POWER (The Prediction of Worldwide Energy Resources) API:

 

Ideally tilt fixed solar panels 27° North in Quinns Rocks, Australia

To maximize your solar PV system's energy output in Quinns Rocks, Australia (Lat/Long -31.6648, 115.6956) throughout the year, you should tilt your panels at an angle of 27° North for fixed panel installations.

As the Earth revolves around the Sun each year, the maximum angle of elevation of the Sun varies by +/- 23.45 degrees from its equinox elevation angle for a particular latitude. Finding the exact optimal angle to maximise solar PV production throughout the year can be challenging, but with careful consideration of historical solar energy and meteorological data for a certain location, it can be done precisely.

We use our own calculation, which incorporates NASA solar and meteorological data for the exact Lat/Long coordinates, to determine the ideal tilt angle of a solar panel that will yield maximum annual solar output. We calculate the optimal angle for each day of the year, taking into account its contribution to the yearly total PV potential at that specific location.

Seasonally adjusted solar panel tilt angles for Quinns Rocks, Australia

If you can adjust the tilt angle of your solar PV panels, please refer to the seasonal tilt angles below for optimal solar energy production in Quinns Rocks, Australia. As mentioned earlier, for fixed-panel solar PV installations, it is optimal to maintain a 27° North tilt angle throughout the year.

Overall Best Summer Angle	Overall Best Autumn Angle	Overall Best Winter Angle	Overall Best Spring Angle
15° North in Summer	36° North in Autumn	47° North in Winter	24° North in Spring

Our recommendations take into account more than just latitude and Earth's position in its elliptical orbit around the Sun. We also incorporate historical solar and meteorological data from NASA's Prediction of Worldwide Energy Resources (POWER) API to assign a weight to each ideal angle for each day based on its historical contribution to overall solar PV potential during a specific season.

This approach allows us to provide much more accurate recommendations than relying solely on latitude, as it considers unique weather conditions in different locations sharing the same latitude worldwide.

Calculate solar panel row spacing in Quinns Rocks, Australia

We've added a feature to calculate minimum solar panel row spacing by location. Enter your panel size and orientation below to get the minimum spacing in Quinns Rocks, Australia.

Our calculation method

1. Solar Position:
   We determine the Sun's position on the Winter solstice using the location's latitude and solar declination.
2. Shadow Projection:
   We calculate the shadow length cast by panels using trigonometry, considering panel tilt and the Sun's elevation angle.
3. Minimum Spacing:
   We add the shadow length to the horizontal space occupied by tilted panels.

This approach ensures maximum space efficiency while avoiding shading during critical times, as the Winter solstice represents the worst-case scenario for shadow length.

Topography for solar PV around Quinns Rocks, Australia

The topography around Quinns Rocks, Australia, located at latitude -31.6648 and longitude 115.6956, is characterized by a coastal landscape with a mix of sandy beaches, low-lying dunes, and gently rolling terrain. This suburb of Perth is situated along the Indian Ocean coastline, with the land gradually rising as you move inland from the shore. The immediate coastal area features a narrow strip of sandy beaches backed by low dunes. These dunes, while not particularly high, provide a natural barrier between the ocean and the residential areas of Quinns Rocks. As you move further inland, the terrain becomes slightly more undulating, with small hills and shallow valleys creating a subtle variation in the landscape. To the east of Quinns Rocks, the land becomes more elevated, with a series of low ridges and plateaus. This area is part of the Swan Coastal Plain, which is generally flat to gently undulating. The soil in this region is predominantly sandy, with some areas of limestone closer to the coast.

Potential for Large-Scale Solar PV

When considering areas nearby that would be most suited to large-scale solar PV installations, the inland regions to the east and northeast of Quinns Rocks show the most promise. These areas offer several advantages for solar energy production: Firstly, the terrain in these inland areas is generally flatter and more open, providing ample space for the installation of large solar arrays. The absence of significant hills or dense vegetation means there would be fewer obstacles to block sunlight and reduce the efficiency of solar panels. Secondly, these areas are typically less densely populated than the coastal suburbs, which means there would be fewer conflicts with residential or commercial land use. This makes it easier to find suitable large plots of land for solar farm development. Thirdly, the climate in this region is favorable for solar energy production. Perth and its surrounding areas, including Quinns Rocks, experience a Mediterranean climate with hot, dry summers and mild winters. This translates to a high number of sunny days throughout the year, which is ideal for solar power generation. However, it's important to note that any large-scale solar PV project would need to consider environmental factors, such as impact on local flora and fauna, as well as proximity to existing power infrastructure for grid connection. Additionally, careful planning would be required to ensure that such developments do not interfere with future urban expansion or other land use priorities in the region.

Australia solar PV Stats as a country

Australia ranks 7th in the world for cumulative solar PV capacity, with 19,076 total MW's of solar PV installed. This means that 10.70% of Australia's total energy as a country comes from solar PV (that's 2nd in the world). Each year Australia is generating 742 Watts from solar PV per capita (Australia ranks 2nd in the world for solar PV Watts generated per capita). [source]

Are there incentives for businesses to install solar in Australia?

Yes, there are a variety of incentives available in Australia to businesses wanting to install solar energy. These include:

1. Renewable Energy Target (RET): The RET provides businesses with financial assistance for installing and operating renewable energy systems such as solar panels. Businesses may be eligible to receive certificates that can be sold or traded on the open market for additional income.

2. Feed-in Tariffs: Some states offer feed-in tariffs which pay businesses for generating and exporting excess electricity from their solar panel system back into the grid during peak demand periods.

3. Solar Credits: The Solar Credits program provides households and small business owners with an upfront discount when purchasing a new solar system, based on the amount of renewable energy generated by the system over its lifetime.

4. Tax Breaks: Small business owners may be able to claim tax deductions on certain expenses associated with installing a solar power system, including installation costs, maintenance expenses and interest payments related to financing arrangements taken out specifically for this purpose.

Do you have more up to date information than this on incentives towards solar PV projects in Australia? Please reach out to us and help us keep this information current. Thanks!

Citation Guide

Article Details for Citation

Tell Us About Your Work

We love seeing how our research helps others! If you've cited this article in your work, we'd be delighted to hear about it. Drop us a line via our Contact Us page or on X, to share where you've used our information - we may feature a link to your work on our site. This helps create a network of valuable resources for others in the solar energy community and helps us understand how our research is contributing to the field. Plus, we occasionally highlight exceptional works that reference our research on our social media channels.

Feeling generous?

Share this with your friends!

Compare this location to others worldwide for solar PV potential

The solar PV analyses available on our website, including this one, are offered as a free service to the global community. Our aim is to provide education and aid informed decision-making regarding solar PV installations.

However, please note that these analyses are general guidance and may not meet specific project requirements. For in-depth, tailored forecasts and analysis crucial for feasibility studies or when pursuing maximum ROI from your solar projects, feel free to contact us; we offer comprehensive consulting services expressly for this purpose.

Helping you assess viability of solar PV for your site

Calculate Your Optimal Solar Panel Tilt Angle: A Comprehensive Guide

Enhance your solar panel's performance with our in-depth guide. Determine the best tilt angle using hard data, debunk common misunderstandings, and gain insight into how your specific location affects solar energy production.