Solar azimuth: does a north, east or west roof work for solar?
The compass direction panels face: 180° is south, 90° east, 270° west. South is best in the U.S.; east and west typically lose 10–20%.
In the northern hemisphere the sun sits in the southern sky, so south-facing panels see the most of it. Southeast and southwest usually lose only a few percent.
East and west roofs typically produce 80–90% of south, and they shift production toward the morning or evening — which can be worth more under time-of-use rates or net billing.
North-facing roofs are the hard case: the loss grows quickly with pitch. A gently sloped north roof in a sunny southern state can still be useful; a steep north roof in the north usually isn’t.
What this means for you: An east- or west-facing roof is usually still worth pricing. Check the orientation heat-map for your location before ruling out a roof.