Diy Solar Panel

what is the best angle and direction to mount a Solar Panel?
I hear that the new Solar Panel Systems will be affordable and aimed at the DIY crowd so I like to know if my home is properly orientated.
I am located near Napa CA, my home has no roof slant facing the south.
Depends on where you are in the country/earth, but generally electrical Solar Panels are located on the south side of a sloping roof or at an angle that is roughly half way between the high and low points of the sun (summer and winter). Solar heat collectors are usually aimed some what east of south to pick up heat earlier in the day and are aimed lower to get heat directly in the winter and more indirectly in the summer.