West-facing rooftop solar panels produced 49 percent more electricity during peak demand compared to south-facing panels, according to a new study from Pecan Street Research Institute.

The research is the first of its kind to evaluate the energy production of solar panels oriented in different directions. Pecan Street analyzed 50 homes in the Austin, Texas area. Some had only south-facing panels, others had west-facing panels, and some had both.

South-facing panels produced a 54 percent peak reduction overall, while west-facing solar PV panels produced a 65 percent peak reduction.

“There’s no other residential demand response tool generating 60 percent reductions,” said Brewster McCracken, CEO of Pecan Street. “Those are pretty extraordinary peak reductions.”

via Are Solar Panels Facing the Wrong Direction? : Greentech Media.