Youngsville, North Carolina in the United States offers varying solar energy potential throughout the year. Located in the Northern Temperate Zone, this specific location experiences significant seasonal fluctuations in solar electricity generation.

Seasonal Solar Production

The solar energy output at this Youngsville location shows clear seasonal patterns. Summer yields the highest production at 6.62kWh per day for each kilowatt of installed capacity. Spring follows closely behind with 5.93kWh/day. Autumn production drops to 4.27kWh/day, while winter sees the lowest output at just 2.63kWh/day per kilowatt installed.

This pattern creates a roughly 2.5× difference between the best and worst seasons, with summer producing more than double the electricity of winter months. The shoulder seasons of spring and autumn serve as transitional periods, with spring performing significantly better than fall.

Optimal Panel Installation

For fixed solar panel installations in Youngsville, the ideal tilt angle to maximize year-round electricity production is 31 degrees facing South. This angle optimizes the annual solar harvest by balancing seasonal variations and the changing sun position throughout the year.

Environmental Considerations

Several environmental factors could affect solar production in Youngsville:

• Tree coverage and shading: The region has substantial deciduous forest areas that could cast shadows on panels, particularly problematic during low-sun winter months.
• Seasonal weather patterns: Summer thunderstorms and occasional hurricane impacts in late summer/early fall can temporarily reduce production.
• Winter snow accumulation: Though not extremely common, snow can cover panels and halt production until melted.

Preventative Measures

To maximize solar production in Youngsville, consider these installation practices:

• Careful site selection with tree-free southern exposure
• Panel mounting at least 2-3 feet above roof surfaces to allow snow to slide off
• Installation of microinverters or power optimizers to minimize production losses from partial shading
• Regular panel cleaning, especially after pollen season (spring) and autumn leaf fall

With proper installation and maintenance, Youngsville's location can provide good solar energy production, particularly from March through October when output significantly exceeds the annual average.

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 Youngsville

Seasonal solar PV output for Latitude: 36.0249, Longitude: -78.4744 (Youngsville, 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 Youngsville, United States

To maximize your solar PV system's energy output in Youngsville, United States (Lat/Long 36.0249, -78.4744) 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 Youngsville, 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 Youngsville, 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	51° 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 Youngsville, 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 Youngsville, 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 Youngsville, United States

The topography around Youngsville, North Carolina, features gently rolling hills characteristic of the eastern Piedmont region of North Carolina. Located in Franklin County, Youngsville sits at an elevation of approximately 400 feet above sea level. The landscape consists of subtle undulations rather than dramatic elevation changes, creating a pleasant, moderately varied terrain. The area is part of the transition zone between the Piedmont and the Coastal Plain regions of North Carolina. Moving eastward from Youngsville, the terrain gradually flattens toward the coastal plain, while heading westward leads to slightly more pronounced hills and eventually to the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains, though these are still quite distant from Youngsville itself.

Hydrological Features

Several small creeks and streams traverse the region around Youngsville, eventually feeding into larger water systems like the Tar River and Neuse River basins. These waterways have carved shallow valleys throughout the landscape, creating natural drainage patterns that have influenced local topography over time. The gentle slopes and modest hills create numerous small watersheds. During rainy periods, these watersheds direct water into the local creek systems, which have shaped the subtle contours of the land through erosion over thousands of years.

Vegetation and Land Use

The natural vegetation around Youngsville consists primarily of mixed deciduous and pine forests, though much of the original forest has been cleared for agriculture and development. The remaining wooded areas occupy the steeper slopes and riparian zones along streams and creeks. Agricultural lands dominate many of the flatter areas and gentle slopes, with tobacco, soybeans, corn, and other crops historically important to the local economy. In recent decades, residential and commercial development has expanded outward from Youngsville and nearby communities, changing the landscape character.

Solar PV Potential Areas

For large-scale solar PV development, several types of terrain around Youngsville offer promising characteristics: The gently sloping agricultural fields, particularly those with southern exposure, present ideal conditions for solar farm development. These areas typically have already been cleared of trees, have established access roads, and possess the modest slopes that facilitate effective solar panel placement without excessive grading requirements. Former tobacco fields and other agricultural lands that may be less productive or lying fallow provide excellent opportunities for solar development. These sites often combine favorable topography with minimal environmental concerns since they've already been cleared and developed for agricultural use. The relatively flat areas along the eastern side of Youngsville, moving toward the coastal plain, offer expansive potential for large solar installations. These locations generally have fewer trees to clear and minimal topographic constraints that would complicate construction or reduce efficiency. Areas to avoid would include the steeper hillsides, particularly those facing north, as well as low-lying areas along streams that may be subject to flooding or contain wetlands. Additionally, lands with significant forest cover would require extensive clearing, increasing both the environmental impact and development costs. The region benefits from a relatively mild climate with abundant sunshine throughout the year, making it generally favorable for solar energy production despite the occasional severe weather events like hurricanes or winter storms that affect the broader region.

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!

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.