Which orientation is best for industrial systems?

For an industrial system sized for self-consumption, the goal is not the maximum annual yield but the match between generation and consumption over time — and this often calls for a different orientation than residential logic does. South-facing orientation gives the highest total annual yield, but with a strong midday peak: if the site’s consumption is lower at that time, the surplus may be lost because of the reverse-power limit. An east–west layout generates a few percent less in total but gives a flatter, wider daily curve, which matches two-shift or all-day industrial loads better. In addition, more panels fit on a given roof area, because less spacing between rows is needed to avoid shading. On flat roofs, an east–west layout is therefore often more economical than south-facing rows, even if its yield per kWp is lower. The decision is always made by a simulation fitted to the site’s 15-minute consumption profile: which orientation is better is not a property of the system, but of the relationship between the system and the consumption.