Why is siting important for solar PV performance?

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Where you place solar PV matters because the site sets the environmental conditions the array will experience, and those conditions directly shape how much energy you’ll get and how reliably the system will perform. Shading from trees, buildings, or equipment can drastically reduce irradiance and cause power losses or hotspots. The solar incidence angle, governed by orientation and tilt, determines how much sunlight the panels capture at different times of day and year; a suboptimal angle lowers energy yield, especially during peak sun. Temperature plays a big role too—as modules heat up, their efficiency drops, so hotter sites can reduce output even if the sun is strong. Wind can help by cooling the panels and boosting efficiency, but it also influences clearing of dust and can impose mechanical stress. Dust, dirt, and soiling cut the light reaching the cells, causing sustained losses unless cleaned. Albedo from surrounding surfaces (like white roofs or light-colored pavements) can increase the reflected light that reaches the panels, sometimes improving performance, but it also interacts with heat buildup. Taken together, these factors determine the annual energy yield and how consistently the system performs over time, which is why siting is so important for PV performance.