Size.Solar

    Solar panel angle & direction tool

    Solar panel tilt angle & direction calculator

    Enter a city or latitude. Get one year-round tilt, seasonal angles, and the compass direction your panels should face. Before a quote, check the result against your roof, shade, and local weather.

    Tilt is measured up from horizontal: 0° is flat and 90° is vertical.

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    Quick calculator
    Find your panel angle
    Use the direction your roof actually faces, even when it is not the ideal direction. Curated cities unlock a weather-backed comparison.

    Choose a suggested city for a detailed model, or enter any latitude for a quick global estimate.

    South is the nearest compass direction. Azimuth runs clockwise from north.

    Ideal fixed setup · reference only

    41°facing south180° azimuth

    Hemisphere

    Northern

    Summer

    26°

    Spring/autumn

    41°

    Winter

    56°

    Add your current roof pitch to see how close it is to the fixed recommendation.

    How much does your roof direction matter?

    Compare your real roof with the recommended angle using local PVWatts v8 weather data.

    Add your roof pitch above to run the comparison.

    Orientation in 20 seconds

    Which direction should solar panels face?

    If you can choose, aim toward the equator: true south in the Northern Hemisphere, or true north in the Southern Hemisphere. That is the ideal reference, not a requirement. Azimuth is simply a compass bearing: north is 0°, east is 90°, south is 180°, and west is 270°.

    Northern Hemisphere

    South · 180° azimuth

    Southern Hemisphere

    North · 0° azimuth

    Roof faces another direction?

    That is normal. East-, west-, and in-between directions can still work well. Choose the direction your roof actually faces in the calculator above, add its pitch, and compare its weather-backed output with the ideal reference.

    Compare my actual roof direction

    Azimuth works like a compass.

    Southern Hemisphere: face north toward 0°.

    Northern Hemisphere: face south toward 180°.

    Popular country searches

    Start with the right hemisphere and city

    Country-level advice gives the direction. A city's latitude gives the more useful starting angle.

    Solar panel angles in South Africa

    Panels usually face true north. Compare city latitudes before choosing a fixed roof or rack angle.

    Solar panel angles in Australia

    Panels usually face true north. The practical fixed angle changes between northern and southern cities.

    Solar panel angles in New Zealand

    Panels usually face true north. Start with Auckland's latitude-based result, then check the real roof and shade.

    Solar panel orientation in the Philippines

    Manila is north of the equator, so the practical starting direction is true south with a relatively low tilt.

    Compare angles for a city

    The quick calculator gives a practical tilt rule. City pages compare fixed, seasonal, and monthly angle options using the city's latitude and the time of year.

    South Africa

    Pretoria

    Latitude -25.7°. Detailed fixed, seasonal, and monthly tilt analysis.

    USA

    Chicago

    Latitude 41.9°. Detailed fixed, seasonal, and monthly tilt analysis.

    USA

    Houston

    Latitude 29.8°. Detailed fixed, seasonal, and monthly tilt analysis.

    USA

    San Diego

    Latitude 32.7°. Detailed fixed, seasonal, and monthly tilt analysis.

    Sweden

    Stockholm

    Latitude 59.3°. Detailed fixed, seasonal, and monthly tilt analysis.

    Thailand

    Bangkok

    Latitude 13.8°. Detailed fixed, seasonal, and monthly tilt analysis.

    New Zealand

    Auckland

    Latitude -36.8°. Detailed fixed, seasonal, and monthly tilt analysis.

    Browse all city tilt calculators

    Choose a city to compare fixed, seasonal, and monthly tilt options for that location.

    Africa

    17 locations

    Asia

    17 locations

    Australia

    5 locations

    Europe

    19 locations

    North America

    17 locations

    South America

    9 locations

    Ready to plan your roof?

    Use your location, roof geometry, and energy needs to size the system and prepare for installer quotes.

    Start your roof plan