Which way solar panels should face
Figures updated 15 November 2026
A south-facing roof gives the most. East and west roofs produce 80% as much, and any pitch from 30° to 45° on a south roof gets at least 99% of the best.
| Roof faces (35° pitch) | kWh per kWp a year | Compared with south |
|---|---|---|
| South | 935 | 100% |
| South-east or south-west | 883 | 94% |
| East or west | 749 | 80% |
| North-east or north-west | 594 | 64% |
| North | 523 | 56% |
Roof pitch
| Pitch, facing south | kWh per kWp a year | Compared with 35° |
|---|---|---|
| Flat roof, panels laid flat | 789 | 84% |
| 15° | 879 | 94% |
| 30° | 929 | 99% |
| 35° | 935 | 100% |
| 45° | 933 | 100% |
| 60° | 889 | 95% |
The single best pitch in this zone is 37°.
Figures for MCS zone 6, which covers Birmingham. Across all 25 UK zones, an east or west roof gives 78% to 82% of a south roof's output. From the MCS irradiance tables that installers must use for their output estimates (MIS 3002). Source.
East and west roofs
Panels on east and west roofs generate more in the morning and evening and less at midday. The calculator below works out what that's worth on your tariff, half-hour by half-hour.