Carthage, Tennessee, United States offers moderately good conditions for year-round solar energy generation, though with significant seasonal variation typical of its Northern Temperate Zone location.

Seasonal Solar Performance

The solar energy output at this location shows strong seasonal patterns. Summer provides the highest production at 6.39 kWh per day per kilowatt of installed solar capacity, making it the peak season for solar generation. Spring follows as the second-best season with 5.54 kWh per day per kW, offering excellent solar conditions as daylight hours increase and weather improves. Autumn production drops to 3.94 kWh per day per kW as the sun angle decreases and weather patterns change. Winter presents the most challenging conditions with only 2.36 kWh per day per kW, representing less than 40% of summer production levels.

Optimal Panel Installation

For maximum year-round energy production at this Carthage location, solar panels should be installed at a fixed tilt angle of 31 degrees facing south. This angle is calculated to optimize total annual output by accounting for the sun's path throughout the year and weighting for the varying solar potential across all seasons.

Local Factors Affecting Solar Production

Several environmental and weather factors in the Carthage area can impact solar energy generation:

• Humidity and moisture: Tennessee's humid subtropical climate can create haze and atmospheric moisture that reduces solar irradiance reaching panels
• Severe weather: The region experiences thunderstorms, potential hail, and occasional ice storms that can damage panels or reduce output
• Tree coverage: The heavily forested Tennessee landscape can create shading issues, particularly important given the area's rolling topography
• Seasonal cloud cover: Winter months often bring increased cloudiness and overcast conditions

Preventative Measures for Better Performance

To maximize solar production despite these challenges, several installation strategies prove effective. Careful site selection away from large trees and potential shade sources becomes crucial, with consideration for future tree growth over the system's 25-year lifespan. Installing panels with adequate spacing and ventilation helps combat humidity-related efficiency losses by allowing air circulation to cool the panels. Choosing panels and mounting systems rated for severe weather conditions, including hail resistance and high wind loads, protects against Tennessee's storm activity. Regular cleaning schedules become more important in humid climates where dust, pollen, and organic matter accumulate more readily on panel surfaces. Installing monitoring systems helps identify performance issues quickly, whether from weather damage or debris accumulation. Ground-mounted systems offer advantages in this location by allowing optimal positioning away from tree shade and easier maintenance access, though roof-mounted systems remain viable with proper site assessment and tree management planning.

Note: The Northern Temperate Zone extends from 35° latitude North up to 66.5° latitude.

So far, we have conducted calculations to evaluate the solar photovoltaic (PV) potential in 4253 locations across the United States. This analysis provides insights into each city/location's potential for harnessing solar energy through PV installations.

Link: Solar PV potential in the United States by location

Solar output per kW of installed solar PV by season in Carthage

Seasonal solar PV output for Latitude: 36.2523, Longitude: -85.9517 (Carthage, United States), 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 31° South in Carthage, United States

To maximize your solar PV system's energy output in Carthage, United States (Lat/Long 36.2523, -85.9517) throughout the year, you should tilt your panels at an angle of 31° South 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 Carthage, United States

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 Carthage, United States. As mentioned earlier, for fixed-panel solar PV installations, it is optimal to maintain a 31° South tilt angle throughout the year.

Overall Best Summer Angle	Overall Best Autumn Angle	Overall Best Winter Angle	Overall Best Spring Angle
20° South in Summer	41° South in Autumn	52° South in Winter	29° South 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 Carthage, United States

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 Carthage, United States.

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 Carthage, United States

Topographical Features of the Carthage Region

The area surrounding Carthage in north-central Tennessee sits within the distinctive rolling landscape of the Highland Rim physiographic region. This terrain is characterized by gently undulating hills and broad valleys that create a moderately varied topography. The elevation around Carthage typically ranges from approximately 400 to 800 feet above sea level, with the Cumberland River serving as the dominant geographical feature flowing through the region. The Cumberland River has carved a meandering path through the landscape, creating fertile bottomlands and river terraces that contrast with the surrounding uplands. These river valleys tend to be relatively flat and wide, while the hills rise gradually from the valley floors with gentle to moderate slopes. The underlying geology consists primarily of limestone bedrock, which has been weathered over time to create the characteristic rolling terrain of Middle Tennessee.

Drainage and Land Use Patterns

The drainage pattern in the Carthage area follows the typical dendritic structure common to the Cumberland River basin, with numerous small creeks and streams flowing into the main river channel. This network of waterways has created a landscape of ridges and hollows, though the relief is generally modest compared to the more mountainous regions of eastern Tennessee. Agricultural land use dominates much of the surrounding countryside, with a mix of pastureland for livestock grazing and cultivated fields. Forested areas are scattered throughout the region, typically occupying steeper slopes and areas less suitable for farming. The combination of agricultural clearing and natural topography has resulted in a patchwork landscape of open fields, wooded hills, and riparian corridors along the waterways.

Optimal Areas for Large-Scale Solar Development

The most promising locations for large-scale solar photovoltaic installations in the Carthage vicinity would be the broad, gently sloping upland areas that offer extensive flat to moderately sloped terrain. These elevated plateaus and ridge tops typically provide the best combination of suitable topography and minimal shading from surrounding landscape features. The river terraces and bottomlands near the Cumberland River, while relatively flat, may present challenges due to periodic flooding and higher soil moisture content. Instead, the rolling uplands at elevations between 500 and 700 feet above sea level would likely offer superior conditions for solar development. These areas often feature south-facing slopes that could enhance solar collection efficiency while providing adequate drainage. Agricultural areas with gentle slopes of less than 10 degrees would be particularly well-suited for solar installations, as they typically offer large contiguous parcels of cleared land with established access infrastructure. The limestone-based soils in these areas generally provide stable foundations for solar mounting systems, while the moderate topography minimizes the need for extensive site preparation and grading. Areas to avoid would include the steeper hillsides with slopes exceeding 15 degrees, heavily forested regions that would require extensive clearing, and low-lying areas near streams and rivers that may be subject to flooding or have poor drainage characteristics. The optimal sites would combine gentle topography, southern exposure, proximity to existing electrical infrastructure, and minimal environmental constraints.

United States solar PV Stats as a country

United States ranks 2nd in the world for cumulative solar PV capacity, with 95,209 total MW's of solar PV installed. This means that 3.40% of United States's total energy as a country comes from solar PV (that's 26th in the world). Each year United States is generating 289 Watts from solar PV per capita (United States ranks 15th in the world for solar PV Watts generated per capita). [source]

Are there incentives for businesses to install solar in United States?

Yes, there are several incentives for businesses wanting to install solar energy in the United States. These include federal tax credits, state and local rebates, net metering policies, and renewable energy certificates (RECs). Additionally, many states have enacted legislation that requires utilities to purchase a certain amount of electricity from renewable sources such as solar.

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

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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.