Home Solar Power ??

[Big Frank]

I just read again in a few different places that if you face your solar panels west instead of south they'll produce 15% less electricity. BUT, if you have Time of Use (TOU) electric billing with high peak rates, you may benefit from having your panels point south (or southwest). It all depends on if you want to generate the most power possible or not. If you do, then you keep them facing south. But if you have TOU billing and want to generate the most energy possible WHEN THE POWER COMPANIES CHARGE MORE FOR IT (peak rates) point them south. Or southwest. And they also pointed out that the angle of the solar panels is much more important than the direction. You want the sun to hit perpendicular to the panels. That may mean they need to sit at a 45 degree angle, but maybe your roof is only at a 30 degree angle. If so, you need to prop them up. And speaking of direction, whatever direction you choose, it should be based on geographical direction, NOT magnetic direction. A lot of people won't even think about that.

[Rastus]

That would be the only reason to face west.  I need the max number of photons on my panels since I'll have battery storage. 

So someone would have to have a very high bill and no storage available...that is to say they are converting their DC solar panel voltage to AC home voltage without a battery.  If you have a battery you want to point in the direction where at your longitude and latitude you will get the most peak sun hours and hence the most photons and electricity generated from that interaction of photons with solar panels.  The angles change throughout the seasons a bit.  Better to be able to track the sun overall. 

There are quite a few website where you can input your lat-long or pick your location on a map to optimize the electricity generated throughout the day.