Roof direction and pitch explorer
East, west, steep or flat: see how your roof's direction and pitch change solar output compared with the best roof where you live.
Yearly output compared with the best roof at this latitude
| Pitch | N | NE | E | SE | S | SW | W | NW |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flat (0°) | 83% | 83% | 83% | 83% | 83% | 83% | 83% | 83% |
| 2/12 (10°) | 74% | 77% | 83% | 89% | 91% | 89% | 84% | 77% |
| 4–5/12 (20°) | 63% | 69% | 81% | 92% | 97% | 93% | 82% | 70% |
| 7/12 (30°) | 53% | 61% | 78% | 93% | 100% | 94% | 80% | 62% |
| 10/12 (40°) | 43% | 53% | 75% | 92% | 100% | 94% | 77% | 54% |
| 14/12 (50°) | 35% | 47% | 71% | 89% | 98% | 92% | 73% | 48% |
Best roof here produces about 1,598 kWh per kW per year. PVWatts v8 with 14% standard losses and typical-year weather at a representative location for each latitude. Local weather, shade and elevation change the exact numbers.
What this means for your quote
If a salesperson's production estimate doesn't change between your south and west roof faces, something is off. Our calculator models each roof face separately and fills the best faces first.
Questions
Do solar panels work on an east or west roof?
Yes. East- and west-facing roofs typically produce about 10–20% less than south-facing ones at common pitches, and west-facing panels produce more in the late afternoon, which can be valuable on time-of-use rates.
Are north-facing roofs worth it?
Usually not unless the pitch is very low. A steep north-facing roof can lose 30–50% of output, which often makes the economics poor.
What roof pitch is best for solar?
Most common residential pitches (4/12 to 7/12) are close to ideal in the continental U.S. Very flat or very steep roofs lose a little; flat roofs often use tilted racking.