Seasonal optimization of solar PV tilt angles for enhanced energy efficiency in Rajasthan, India

Solar radiance is used as a fuel in a solar photovoltaic plant to generate electricity. The maximum solar radiance mainly depends on latitudes and optimal tilt angle. This paper aims to determine the optimal tilt angle for various locations in Rajasthan, India. For this purpose, a general algorithm for the optimization of the solar tilt angle is investigated based on MATLAB software for four different locations in Rajasthan, India. The four different locations are Kota, Barmer, Jodhpur, and Jaisalmer, whose average optimal tilt angles and latitudes are 27.88° (25.21°N), 27.15°(25.75°N), 27.54° (26.23°N), and 28.38° (26.91°N), respectively. This study investigates the seasonal optimization of solar photovoltaic module tilt angles to optimize the energy efficiency of solar photovoltaic plants in Rajasthan. The results reveal that dynamic tilt adjustments can boost annual solar yield by 8–9 % across diverse climatic zones. From the analysis, Jodhpur has shown the highest average solar radiance during the summer season (301.5 W/m 2 ), while Kota city experienced the lowest values during the monsoon season (229.4 W/m 2 ). Post-monsoon data indicate a recovery in radiance across all locations, with Jaisalmer achieving the highest average solar radiance value (289.2 W/m 2 ) annually. The results reveal a clear seasonal trend, where optimum tilt angles are higher in the winter season (58°–60°) and gradually decrease to 0° during the summer season (May to July), reflecting the changing solar altitude. By using optimal tilt angles, the values of solar radiance can be improved by approximately 8 %–9 % across all locations of Rajasthan from tracking solar systems to achieve the maximum solar output power. The regression analysis indicates that fixed tilt systems become less optimal as latitude increases, suggesting greater potential benefits from tracking systems in northern locations. The slope (b) decreases from south to north (0.8392–0.5986), whereas the intercept (a) increases from south to north (61.0957–128.7876). R 2 values decrease northward (0.8273–0.6082). • MATLAB-based algorithm optimizes solar panel tilt angles for Kota, Barmer, Jodhpur, Jaisalmer. • Seasonal tilt angles vary: 58°–60° in winter and 0° in the summer, showing clear trends. • Regression coefficients (slope and intercept) show northward tilt benefits increase, but predictability (R 2 ) decreases. • Jodhpur has highest summer irradiance (301.5 W/m 2 ); Jaisalmer tops annual (289.2 W/m 2 ). • Jaisalmer shows most stable performance (9.21 % coefficient of variation) across seasons.