Effectively Direct And Tilt Your Solar Collector

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Remember that the sun rises in the east, crosses over the horizon in a southerly direction, and sets in the west. Try to get as much southerly exposure as you can – this will help ensure that your system gets the most sunlight possible.
Your collector should be tilted at least 14 degrees up from the horizontal.
If you live in an area with sunny winters, a higher angle can help you get more sun during the winter months.
If you live in an area with significant winter overcast, your collector (sitting on a low pitched roof) can face somewhere between 45 degrees east or west of south (in this direction, it will lose no more than 8% of the energy it would have produced if it were facing directly south). If it is facing 90 degrees east or west of south, your energy loss will be higher (around 20%).