While it s true they should face south for the best results a west facing system would have produced 49 percent more electricity during the peak demand hours of the summer months than a south facing system.
Ideal roof angle for solar panels.
Since solar panels are more productive when the sun s rays are perpendicular to their surfaces the certainly best orientation is the one directly true south azimuth angle 180.
Ideally a fixed roof mounted solar energy system should be at an angle that is equal to the latitude of the location where it is installed.
Overall the angle of your rooftop has less impact on solar panel performance than the direction your roof faces.
If you are trying to install solar panels on a steep roof it may not be possible to place panels at the optimal tilt with traditional racking systems.
On the contrary in the countries of the southern hemisphere such as south africa and australia the best orientation is true north.