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Solar Overshadowing Information Brochure
Solar Overshadowing Information Brochure
A checklist and general advice for parties seeking to develop or extend a building on their property is also provided
to help minimise or avoid any overshadowing impacts on neighbouring solar systems.
delwp.vic.gov.au
What are the potential risks to your system?
If you are installing a solar system then you should investigate the potential overshadowing risks associated with
your site.
Before installing a solar system, you should speak to your solar supplier about the risk of potential overshadowing.
In most cases provisions under your local planning scheme will provide sufficient incidental protection of your
rooftop solar system from undue overshadowing by neighbouring developments.
When deciding where to install a solar system, keep in mind that your neighbours might build a taller building, or
plant a tree(s) that could affect the efficiency of your system. Before installing a solar system, you should consider
the following issues:
1. Development potential of the adjacent property. Check the maximum building height of development
and setback requirements set out under the local planning scheme:
https://www.planning.vic.gov.au/schemes-and-amendments/browse-planning-schemes-by-map . VicPlan
can help to identify the zoning around your land: http://mapshare.maps.vic.gov.au/vicplan/. Your local
council can also help explain the form of development that could occur on adjoining land.
2. Growth potential of existing trees on your own property and your neighbour’s property. Try to
identify the tree species and research the heights they typically grow to help assess the potential for
overshadowing.
Note: Shade trees can improve the summer energy performance of buildings. Where shading from trees is
likely, examine alternative locations for solar system placement.
3. Consider your roof form including any protruding structures such as chimneys and evaporative air
conditioning units which may also cause potential overshadowing of your solar system.
4. Whether the design of your solar panel system allows for panels to be easily relocated. Consider
whether the solar panel mounting system readily allows for relocating the panels to a more suitable location
if overshadowing becomes a problem in the future.
How to avoid overshadowing
In most cases solar system overshadowing can be minimised or avoided by carefully considering your site
surrounds and responding to potential risks. Before installing a solar PV system, you should consider:
Orientation North
East/West
South (less ideal, but
can be viable)
Splitting your system
across multiple
orientations
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SETBACKS FROM NORTHFACING WINDOWS DAYLIGHT TO EXISTING WINDOWS
Place solar panels above existing north facing windows If you can’t place solar panels to the north, place panels over
any existing windows of a habitable room1
Figure 1. Oblique view showing how setback requirements to protect solar access to north facing windows can be used to support
good solar panel placement (illustrative example only).
East/West
Depending on your site, locating panels high on the west and east can be almost as effective as north. However, it
is important to be aware that with longer shadows during the morning and afternoon, potential overshadowing
impacts from the east or west may be more pronounced.
Splitting panel location across north, west, east or even south roof orientations can minimise the impact of
overshadowing on your solar system as a whole.
South
If other orientations are not suitable due to roof layout, heritage controls, or existing and/or potential
overshadowing; south oriented panels can be an alternative. Although not as efficient as other orientations, south
1
A habitable room is a room frequently occupied and used for an extended period of time. For example, this includes a lounge room, bedroom, kitchen, dining
room or study, but does not include bathrooms, walk in wardrobes or a laundry.
facing panels placed at an angle (to the horizontal) of no greater than 20° are able to generate enough energy to
be financially viable.
When orienting panels to the south keep the angle from the horizontal as close to zero as possible and panels
should be located as close to the roof peak as possible. Be aware of chimneys or other structures on your own roof
that may cause some shading.
N S
Figure 2. When locating panels on a south facing roof plane the tilt of the panels should be as close to zero as possible. A tilt of 20° or
less is preferred.
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Set as far back from the lot boundary as
possible
Setting the panels as far back from the lot
boundary as possible (either by moving them to
roof panes with a greater setback or placing them
further back on the roof) will increase the distance
between your panels and any potential source of
neighbouring overshadowing, giving a greater
degree of protection.
Figure 3. Examples of indicative good (green) and poor (red) solar panel locations.
Note: The best location for your solar system will depend on your site context including neighbouring development,
trees, topography, roof form, heritage controls, etc.
What is the best technology/system design to reduce overshadowing impacts?
With a standard single row of solar panels (string set-up), partial shading of the panel array can degrade the whole
system. Note: this not an issue for solar hot water systems.
The impact of moderate shading can be minimised through system design (e.g. arranging the panels as a multiple
string array, using bypass diodes 2 or micro-inverters3 which allow for more efficient operation when shade falls on
part of the array). These technologies allow unshaded portions of a solar array to continue to operate whilst other
parts are shaded. These options should be considered as a sensible means of insurance to minimise the impacts
of potential overshadowing.
OK on large blocks with large Less susceptible to partial Best for panels subject to
setbacks minimal chance of shade resulting from partial shade
overshadowing (Still better to neighbouring development
locate higher on the roof pitch)
2
Solar panels (or modules) are generally connected together in one long string, which means that for the electrical current to flow through the solar panel it
needs to pass through every single panel. The problem with this arrangement is that if one panel is even partly shaded, it disrupts the current, reducing the
efficiency of the whole system. Installing bypass diodes allows the current to ‘bypass’ a panel when it is shaded, which keeps the rest of the solar array
functioning.
3
All solar panels require a form of ‘inverter’ to convert the DC power the panels generate to AC power which can be used in your home. Instead of having one
central inverter do this job for all the panels in your solar array, micro-inverters are attached to each panel. This improves overall solar system generation, even
if there is a partial shading.
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Installing solar panels in a heritage area
If your property is included in a heritage overlay, a planning permit will be required from your local council to place
solar panels on a roof visible from the street or a public park.
Additional requirements also apply to a building which is included on the Victorian Heritage Register.
If you cannot avoid locating your system in a place visible from the street or a public park, consider the following
options before deciding where to install your new solar system:
Rear structures – Are there any recessed structures on your property, like a rear shed or garage, that
could be used to mount the solar system in a less obtrusive place.
Side planes – Locating a solar system to the east or west on the side of a roof will generally result in the
system being less visually obtrusive than a system located on the front of the house.
Integration with the heritage building – Where a solar system is visible from the street, minimise the
visual impact by using matching colours and low reflectivity materials. Locate panels flush with the roof and
do not project beyond ridgelines.
Southern orientation – The southern plane of a roof is a viable location for solar panels if other roof
orientations are visible from the street.
Solar tiles – Solar tiles can be used to minimise the visual impact of a solar system (Several products are
available on the Australian market). Solar tiles should be used where the priority is to minimise visual
impacts. Solar tiles should be avoided where the roof fabric is inherent to the significance of the building.
Tankless solar hot water systems - most solar hot water systems are now designed to have the tank
located either inside the house or at the ground level. This means that extra support is not required to hold
the tank on the roof and prevents additional visual bulk of the system.
Figure 4: Examples of solar installations in heritage areas. A well-integrated solar facility minimising area of visible roof plane
covered and using matching colours/materials (left). A poorly integrated system projecting above rooflines (centre). A very
poorly integrated system with the majority of the visual roof plane covered by the solar system and projecting above roof
ridgelines (right) (Photo source: Street view images, Google 2018).
Note: When installing a solar system on a dwelling with significant heritage fabric, care should be taken to ensure
that the system can be installed and removed without damaging the heritage fabric.
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Homeowner Checklist
If there is a possibility that the proposed location for your rooftop solar system could be overshadowed by
future development, you should consider the following matters and seek advice from your installer to
ensure the best outcome to minimise or avoid overshadowing:
Are you located in an area covered by a Heritage Overlay? If so, what placement locations would avoid the panels
being visible from the street or public park?
Have you discussed existing and potential overshadowing impacts with your installer?
If your panels are facing north, are they located above a north facing window?
Have you discussed your daily pattern of energy use with your solar panel supplier? This may influence the best
location for your panels (for example, if most energy use is in the afternoon, west facing panels can be very effective).
Are panels located on a roof face/orientation with the greatest separation from your lot boundary (for example,
opposite your side driveway)?
If panels are located to the south, is the tilt angle 20° or less?
Have you considered a system design that performs better if affected by partial overshadowing such as multiple string
arrays, micro-inverters, power optimisers or by-pass diodes?
Have you considered the scope for relocating panels in the event of unexpected overshadowing impacts?
Note: This checklist of important considerations is a general guide only, the best solution for your solar system will be
dependent on the site and its surrounds. The information in this guide is also subject to changes in technology. An accredited
solar energy facility installer will be able to provide advice based on your specific needs.
Questions to ask your solar provider
In order to minimise or avoid the risk of overshadowing your solar panels, get the best possible advice. Ask your
preferred solar system supplier the following questions.
1. Have they adopted industry best practice by agreeing to the Clean Energy Council’s Solar PV Retailer
Code of Conduct (https://www.cleanenergycouncil.org.au/technologies/solar-pv.html)? The Clean Energy Council
website also provides a list of solar panel modules and inverters that meet Australian standards.
2. Will they assess the impact of existing sources of shading on your solar system location?
3. Will they assess the impact on your solar system based on potential future overshadowing from the
development of your neighbour’s property (Check what is allowed in your local planning scheme)?
4. What are the potential benefits of additional features such as micro-inverters or bypass diodes that may
reduce the impacts of partial shading?
5. Ask about splitting your system across multiple roof orientations or what potential there is to relocate your
solar system in the future.
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