Which Direction Should My Solar Panels Face?

Last Updated: 20th Oct 2026 by Finn Peacock, Chartered Electrical Engineer, Fact-Checked by Ronald Brakels

In Australia, solar panels facing north generate the most electricity over a year. However, producing the most electricity does not always mean it’s the most useful for your needs.

If nobody’s home at lunchtime, a big midday peak mostly flows into the grid for a few cents. East and west-facing panels make more of their power in the morning and late afternoon, when you’re more likely to be home to use it.

So, which direction is best for your solar panels? The best direction for saving money depends on when your household uses electricity.

Fill Your Roof First

Before worrying too much about direction, here is our usual advice: if your budget allows, cover every unshaded part of your roof that faces north, east, or west, and think about using the south side too.

Solar panels themselves are inexpensive compared to the cost of labour and scaffolding for installation, so adding extra panels often costs less than you might think. If your roof is tricky, adding more panels is usually a better solution than worrying about direction.

Your electricity use will probably increase over time. The federal battery rebate has made home batteries more common, and getting an electric vehicle or switching from gas to electric appliances can add a lot of demand. Filling your roof with panels helps you prepare for all of this.

If your budget, roof space, or local electricity network limits how many panels you can install, then the direction of your panels becomes more important.

How Much Each Compass Direction Produces

On average, each kilowatt (kW) of north-facing solar panels in Sydney produces about 3.9 kilowatt-hours (kWh) of electricity per day over a year. If you turn the panels away from north, the output drops, but not as much as you might think.

Here’s are some percentages for what a 10 kW system, an average size for Australian homes, produces in Sydney, depending on which way it faces:

These are ballpark yearly averages for a typical roof pitched at 20-25°. Steeper roofs widen the gap.

A 10 kW north facing system in Sydney will generate a daily average of 41 kWh. But if all the panels faced south, the daily average would still be 27 kWh. As long as your panels are not shaded, every direction is still worthwhile.

Across most of Australia, the sun passes through the northern sky at midday all year, but the seasons change how high it climbs and how long it shines on your panels. Panels make the most power when sunlight hits them square-on, and the high summer sun lights up almost any roof face. The low winter sun favours north-facing panels.

In Sydney, the midsummer sun reaches about 80° above the horizon at midday and stays up for more than 14 hours. In midwinter, the sun peaks at just 33°, stays in the northern sky all day and sets after less than 10 hours. You will get more electricity on a summer day and less in winter.

Your location also matters in relation to the equator. A kilowatt of well-placed panels averages about 4.2 kWh per day in Brisbane, but only about 3.6 kWh in Melbourne because the sun is lower in the sky. 

The summer sun shines more directly on the panels than in the winter.

To find out how much electricity panels on your roof could produce, enter your postcode, panel direction, and roof angle into our solar calculator. 

Which Panel Direction Suits Your Household?

North: This direction produces the most electricity over a year, with a peak around midday. It is best for households where people are home during the day, or can run appliances like hot water systems, pool pumps, clothes dryers and dish washers during the middle of the day. It also suits those who can charge an EV during the day or who want to maximise generation to charge a home battery.

West: The output peaks an hour or so after noon and remains useful into the late afternoon. This suits households where people are out during the day, homes with high summer air conditioning use, and anyone who gets paid more for exporting electricity in the afternoon.

East: Produces more electricity in the morning and less in the afternoon. This is good for households with high morning use, like electric heating in winter, or for people who are out later in the day, shift workers for instance.

North-west and north-east: These are a good all-round option for many households.

In summer, east and west compete with north. In winter, north pulls ahead.

East and West split: Placing panels on both sides spreads electricity generation throughout the day. This can increase self-consumption for households that are home in the morning and afternoon. The steeper your roof, the more separated the two peaks are, and the wider the combined output.

South: This is the least productive direction, but it is usually still worthwhile once you have filled the better roof faces. South-facing panels perform much better in summer than in winter. However, in most capital cities, their winter output is less than half of what north-facing panels produce.

Best Solar Panel Direction In Each City

This table shows how much energy you can expect from nearly any combination of direction, compared to the ideal for your city. Direction is measured as a compass bearing: 0° is north, 90° is east, 180° is south, and 270° is west.

Click a city below to see a compass showing the ideal panel direction there.