SOLAR ORIENTATION: UK
Which way should solar panels face in the UK?
South. On a 35° roof, a common pitch for British houses, south facing panels make between 840 and 1,060 kWh per kW a year across the cities below. East and west facing panels make 77% to 81% of that, and north facing panels 53% to 57% at the same tilt. The tool below starts on London; search your own address to model your roof.
| City | South, per kW a year | East | West | North at 35° | North at 5° | Best tilt facing south |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| London | 937 kWh | 81% | 79% | 56% | 81% | 38° |
| Bristol | 987 kWh | 81% | 79% | 56% | 81% | 38° |
| Cardiff | 1,058 kWh | 78% | 81% | 54% | 80% | 38° |
| Birmingham | 982 kWh | 81% | 79% | 55% | 81% | 37° |
| Manchester | 860 kWh | 80% | 80% | 57% | 81% | 38° |
| Belfast | 917 kWh | 80% | 77% | 56% | 79% | 41° |
| Glasgow | 844 kWh | 80% | 80% | 57% | 81% | 38° |
| Edinburgh | 940 kWh | 78% | 77% | 53% | 77% | 42° |
Modelled AC output at 35° unless stated, from a typical weather year for each city centre (PVGIS data, 2005–2023), 14% system losses plus inverter losses, no shading. East, west and north are shown as a share of south. Click a city to open the tool there.
Is east or west better in the UK?
In most of the UK there is not much in it. Across these cities east and west facing panels at 35° make 77% to 81% of a south facing roof. West comes out ahead in Cardiff, where the afternoons in a typical weather year are sunnier than the mornings. East comes out ahead in London, Bristol, Birmingham and Belfast. The bigger difference is timing.
On a clear summer day in London, east facing panels peak around 09:30, south facing around 12:10 and west facing around 14:50 (local standard time, so add an hour for daylight saving). If most of your power is used in the late afternoon and evening, west facing panels match that better than the annual totals suggest.
Are north facing solar panels worth it in the UK?
Often, yes, as long as they are not steep. In London north facing panels at 35° make about 56% of a south facing roof, but laid flatter at 5° they make about 81%. Across all eight cities that flatter north layout makes 77% to 81% of south.
Panels are cheap now. According to DESNZ solar PV cost data, the median price paid for 0 to 4 kW installations in 2025/26 was £1,595 per kW. Spread over 25 years, north facing panels in London work out to roughly 9p per kWh at 5° and 13p per kWh at 35°. Grid power costs 26.32p per kWh from October to December 2026, according to the Ofgem price cap. So north facing panels pay their way on any power you use yourself. If most of it would be exported, check what your supplier pays under the Smart Export Guarantee first, because export rates are set by each supplier.
The catch is the season. In summer (June to August) north facing panels at 35° make 70% to 76% of what south facing ones do, but in winter (December to February) that drops to 24% to 33%. Put a north layout into the tool at your real roof pitch to see exactly what it adds.
What is the best tilt for solar panels in the UK?
Facing south, the tilt that makes the most energy over a year ranges from 37° in Birmingham to 42° in Edinburgh. Compared with a 35° roof, a common pitch for British houses, the gain is less than 1% everywhere. In other words, use the roof pitch you have. The Solar Panel Angle Calculator shows the full picture for any direction and tilt.
How much does solar output drop in winter?
South facing panels make 27% to 40% as much energy in winter (December to February) as in summer (June to August). The swing is biggest in Glasgow (27%) and smallest in Belfast (40%). At this latitude winter days are short and the sun stays low, so most of the year's energy arrives between April and September.
Where do these numbers come from?
The cities are eight of the largest cities across England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. Each one is modelled with the same engine as the Solar Panel Orientation Comparison, using a typical meteorological year from PVGIS, the solar database run by the European Commission Joint Research Centre. Every hour of the year is worked through for each panel direction, then reduced for panel heat, 14% system losses and a 96% efficient inverter. Your own roof will differ with shading, panel brand and exact location, so treat these as a guide rather than a quote.
Other countries
See the same comparison for the US, or Australian cities: Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth, Adelaide and more.
Common questions
Which direction is best for solar panels in the UK?
South. On a 35 degree roof, a common pitch for British houses, south facing panels make about 840 to 1,060 kWh per kW a year across major UK cities. East and west facing panels make around 77% to 81% of that.
Are north facing solar panels worth it in the UK?
Often, if they are fairly flat. At 5 degrees north facing panels make 77% to 81% of a south facing roof, and at current prices that energy costs roughly 9p per kWh over 25 years, well below grid prices. At steep pitches and in winter the output drops a lot.
Are east west solar panels worth it in the UK?
Usually. East and west facing panels make 77% to 81% of a south facing roof and spread output across the morning and afternoon, which suits homes that use power outside the middle of the day.
What angle should solar panels be in the UK?
Facing south, the best annual tilt ranges from about 37 to 42 degrees across major UK cities, but a typical roof pitch gets within about 2% of that, so extra framing rarely pays.
Need monitoring for your solar system?
These numbers show what a roof in the UK should make. PV Fleet checks whether yours actually does. It connects to the inverter monitoring you already have, works out what each system should be producing and alerts you within hours when something goes wrong.