Six directions, one house
In Stockholm south gives 2,987 kWh more a year than north with 20 panels.
| Roof facing | kWh per kW | Saves/yr* | Payback* |
|---|---|---|---|
| South | 950 100% | 9 456 kr | 14.0 years |
| South-east | 903 95% | 9 050 kr | 14.6 years |
| South-west | 904 95% | 9 050 kr | 14.6 years |
| East | 783 82% | 8 014 kr | 16.5 years |
| West | 783 82% | 8 037 kr | 16.4 years |
| North | 595 63% | 6 552 kr | 20.1 years |
* Stockholm: 20 panels (8.4 kW) without a battery, 20,000 kWh a year, at home in the day. 27° roof. The share is of south.
Why north is still not zero
The panels take light from the whole sky, not only direct sun.
On a cloudy day almost all light comes from the sky, and it reaches a north roof too. So north gives 60–66% of south in the 20 cities. In Stockholm, 20 panels facing north give 4,997 kWh a year and pay back in 20.1 years, against 14.0 years facing south.
Two roof faces
East and west: put panels on both.
East gives most in the morning, west in the afternoon. With a gable roof to the east and west, put panels on both: in Stockholm each face gives 82% of south, and you get solar power during more hours of the day. With only north, try the garage or another roof.
Tilt
We calculate one tilt. The calculator takes yours.
All numbers here are for a roof at 27°. We have not calculated other tilts, so we do not guess. Your roof probably has another tilt: the calculator draws the roof from the aerial image and uses your tilt.
South against north per city
South and north in all 20 cities. Sorted by the sun facing south.
| City | kWh/kW south | kWh/kW north | Payback south | Payback north |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Malmö | 1,035 | 666 | 10.8 years | 15.4 years |
| Lund | 998 | 651 | 11.9 years | 16.9 years |
| Helsingborg | 953 | 628 | 12.5 years | 17.5 years |
| Stockholm | 950 | 595 | 14.0 years | 20.1 years |
| Norrköping | 948 | 599 | 13.2 years | 18.9 years |
| Karlstad | 948 | 584 | 15.1 years | 22.0 years |
| Linköping | 945 | 601 | 14.7 years | 21.1 years |
| Göteborg | 937 | 601 | 13.9 years | 19.7 years |
| Halmstad | 934 | 611 | 13.2 years | 18.7 years |
| Örebro | 933 | 589 | 13.5 years | 19.1 years |
| Uppsala | 928 | 584 | 13.0 years | 18.4 years |
| Västerås | 926 | 581 | 12.4 years | 17.6 years |
| Eskilstuna | 924 | 581 | 13.9 years | 20.0 years |
| Växjö | 921 | 612 | 11.9 years | 16.4 years |
| Gävle | 914 | 564 | 15.3 years | 22.4 years |
| Jönköping | 910 | 593 | 13.9 years | 19.5 years |
| Luleå | 895 | 540 | 26.1 years | 38.2 years |
| Sundsvall | 891 | 540 | 18.0 years | 26.5 years |
| Umeå | 881 | 525 | 20.9 years | 30.9 years |
| Borås | 880 | 583 | 15.4 years | 21.4 years |
Questions and answers
Does a north-facing roof work?
It gives power, but less: in Stockholm 63% of a south roof, and 20 panels pay back in 20.1 years. With another roof face or a garage, use that.
East or west, which is better?
Almost the same. In Stockholm east gives 783 and west 783 kWh per kW a year; the savings are 8 014 kr against 8 037 kr a year with 20 panels. If you have both, use both.
The data
The data behind every number on the page, per month or year. Click a dotted number to open it.
Solar per month for each roof direction
The same 20 panels facing six ways. South wins every month; the gap is largest in spring and autumn.
| Month | South | South-east | South-west | East | West | North |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 119 | 99 | 100 | 59 | 59 | 40 |
| Feb | 265 | 232 | 233 | 164 | 164 | 99 |
| Mar | 662 | 603 | 604 | 471 | 472 | 252 |
| Apr | 987 | 936 | 936 | 801 | 803 | 548 |
| May | 1,186 | 1,157 | 1,157 | 1,059 | 1,060 | 872 |
| Jun | 1,239 | 1,221 | 1,221 | 1,148 | 1,148 | 1,012 |
| Jul | 1,209 | 1,186 | 1,186 | 1,105 | 1,105 | 952 |
| Aug | 984 | 949 | 949 | 851 | 850 | 660 |
| Sep | 711 | 662 | 662 | 546 | 546 | 334 |
| Oct | 396 | 353 | 352 | 260 | 260 | 151 |
| Nov | 146 | 125 | 124 | 79 | 79 | 53 |
| Dec | 82 | 66 | 66 | 35 | 35 | 24 |
| Year, kWh | 7,984 | 7,589 | 7,590 | 6,579 | 6,580 | 4,997 |
20 panels (8.4 kW), 27° roof, no shade. kWh per month.
Source: priv/data/city_solar/<city>.json · scenarios[dir=*, panels=20].months[produced_kwh], produced_kwh
Savings per month: 20 panels (8.4 kW)
How 9 456 kr a year spreads over the year. The summer months give the most; winter little, because the sun is low.
| Month | Solar | Used | Sold | Bought | Saved |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 119 | 119 | 0 | 2,482 | 268 kr |
| Feb | 265 | 265 | 0 | 1,938 | 602 kr |
| Mar | 662 | 630 | 32 | 1,174 | 875 kr |
| Apr | 987 | 455 | 532 | 348 | 780 kr |
| May | 1,186 | 415 | 771 | 187 | 1 070 kr |
| Jun | 1,239 | 562 | 677 | 241 | 1 291 kr |
| Jul | 1,209 | 656 | 553 | 350 | 1 030 kr |
| Aug | 984 | 656 | 329 | 552 | 1 160 kr |
| Sep | 711 | 645 | 66 | 966 | 1 179 kr |
| Oct | 396 | 396 | 0 | 1,620 | 732 kr |
| Nov | 146 | 146 | 0 | 2,477 | 345 kr |
| Dec | 82 | 82 | 0 | 2,745 | 124 kr |
| Year | 7,986 | 5,027 | 2,960 | 15,080 | 9 456 kr |
Roof facing south, 20,000 kWh a year, someone home in the day. kWh and kr per month.
Source: priv/data/city_solar/<city>.json · scenarios[id=S-20-b0-nocar-20-home].months, savings_kr
Payback year by year: 20 panels (8.4 kW)
The kronor saved add up year by year. Where the pile passes the price (131 945 kr) the system is paid back: year 14.
| Year | Saved in total | Net |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 9 456 kr | −122 489 kr |
| 5 | 47 280 kr | −84 665 kr |
| 10 | 94 560 kr | −37 385 kr |
| 14 | 132 384 kr | 439 kr |
| 15 | 141 840 kr | 9 895 kr |
| 20 | 189 120 kr | 57 175 kr |
| 25 | 236 400 kr | 104 455 kr |
| Payback | 14.0 years | 104 455 kr |
The same savings every year, no price changes; the battery's extra savings count for 10 years. Roof facing south, 20,000 kWh a year, someone home in the day. kWh and kr per month.
Source: priv/data/city_solar/<city>.json · scenarios[id=S-20-b0-nocar-20-home].price_kr, savings_kr, battery_savings_kr, net_25_kr
Savings per month: 20 panels (8.4 kW)
How 9 050 kr a year spreads over the year. The summer months give the most; winter little, because the sun is low.
| Month | Solar | Used | Sold | Bought | Saved |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 99 | 99 | 0 | 2,502 | 225 kr |
| Feb | 232 | 232 | 0 | 1,970 | 535 kr |
| Mar | 603 | 583 | 20 | 1,221 | 818 kr |
| Apr | 936 | 442 | 494 | 361 | 778 kr |
| May | 1,157 | 404 | 753 | 198 | 1 065 kr |
| Jun | 1,221 | 544 | 677 | 260 | 1 277 kr |
| Jul | 1,186 | 638 | 549 | 368 | 1 025 kr |
| Aug | 949 | 647 | 302 | 560 | 1 142 kr |
| Sep | 662 | 618 | 44 | 993 | 1 132 kr |
| Oct | 353 | 353 | 0 | 1,663 | 655 kr |
| Nov | 125 | 125 | 0 | 2,498 | 296 kr |
| Dec | 66 | 66 | 0 | 2,760 | 102 kr |
| Year | 7,589 | 4,751 | 2,839 | 15,354 | 9 050 kr |
Roof facing south-east, 20,000 kWh a year, someone home in the day. kWh and kr per month.
Source: priv/data/city_solar/<city>.json · scenarios[id=SE-20-b0-nocar-20-home].months, savings_kr
Payback year by year: 20 panels (8.4 kW)
The kronor saved add up year by year. Where the pile passes the price (131 945 kr) the system is paid back: year 15.
| Year | Saved in total | Net |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 9 050 kr | −122 895 kr |
| 5 | 45 250 kr | −86 695 kr |
| 10 | 90 500 kr | −41 445 kr |
| 15 | 135 750 kr | 3 805 kr |
| 20 | 181 000 kr | 49 055 kr |
| 25 | 226 250 kr | 94 305 kr |
| Payback | 14.6 years | 94 305 kr |
The same savings every year, no price changes; the battery's extra savings count for 10 years. Roof facing south-east, 20,000 kWh a year, someone home in the day. kWh and kr per month.
Source: priv/data/city_solar/<city>.json · scenarios[id=SE-20-b0-nocar-20-home].price_kr, savings_kr, battery_savings_kr, net_25_kr
Savings per month: 20 panels (8.4 kW)
How 9 050 kr a year spreads over the year. The summer months give the most; winter little, because the sun is low.
| Month | Solar | Used | Sold | Bought | Saved |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 100 | 100 | 0 | 2,502 | 224 kr |
| Feb | 233 | 233 | 0 | 1,970 | 522 kr |
| Mar | 604 | 586 | 18 | 1,218 | 802 kr |
| Apr | 936 | 459 | 477 | 343 | 757 kr |
| May | 1,157 | 432 | 725 | 170 | 1 078 kr |
| Jun | 1,221 | 585 | 636 | 219 | 1 316 kr |
| Jul | 1,186 | 677 | 508 | 328 | 1 046 kr |
| Aug | 949 | 663 | 286 | 544 | 1 155 kr |
| Sep | 662 | 617 | 44 | 994 | 1 105 kr |
| Oct | 352 | 352 | 0 | 1,663 | 651 kr |
| Nov | 124 | 124 | 0 | 2,498 | 293 kr |
| Dec | 66 | 66 | 0 | 2,760 | 101 kr |
| Year | 7,590 | 4,894 | 2,694 | 15,209 | 9 050 kr |
Roof facing south-west, 20,000 kWh a year, someone home in the day. kWh and kr per month.
Source: priv/data/city_solar/<city>.json · scenarios[id=SW-20-b0-nocar-20-home].months, savings_kr
Payback year by year: 20 panels (8.4 kW)
The kronor saved add up year by year. Where the pile passes the price (131 945 kr) the system is paid back: year 15.
| Year | Saved in total | Net |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 9 050 kr | −122 895 kr |
| 5 | 45 250 kr | −86 695 kr |
| 10 | 90 500 kr | −41 445 kr |
| 15 | 135 750 kr | 3 805 kr |
| 20 | 181 000 kr | 49 055 kr |
| 25 | 226 250 kr | 94 305 kr |
| Payback | 14.6 years | 94 305 kr |
The same savings every year, no price changes; the battery's extra savings count for 10 years. Roof facing south-west, 20,000 kWh a year, someone home in the day. kWh and kr per month.
Source: priv/data/city_solar/<city>.json · scenarios[id=SW-20-b0-nocar-20-home].price_kr, savings_kr, battery_savings_kr, net_25_kr
Savings per month: 20 panels (8.4 kW)
How 8 014 kr a year spreads over the year. The summer months give the most; winter little, because the sun is low.
| Month | Solar | Used | Sold | Bought | Saved |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 59 | 59 | 0 | 2,542 | 134 kr |
| Feb | 164 | 164 | 0 | 2,039 | 380 kr |
| Mar | 471 | 470 | 1 | 1,333 | 668 kr |
| Apr | 801 | 435 | 367 | 367 | 744 kr |
| May | 1,059 | 401 | 658 | 201 | 1 033 kr |
| Jun | 1,148 | 534 | 614 | 270 | 1 246 kr |
| Jul | 1,105 | 631 | 475 | 375 | 1 008 kr |
| Aug | 851 | 635 | 216 | 572 | 1 090 kr |
| Sep | 546 | 537 | 9 | 1,074 | 981 kr |
| Oct | 260 | 260 | 0 | 1,756 | 488 kr |
| Nov | 79 | 79 | 0 | 2,544 | 188 kr |
| Dec | 35 | 35 | 0 | 2,792 | 54 kr |
| Year | 6,578 | 4,240 | 2,340 | 15,865 | 8 014 kr |
Roof facing east, 20,000 kWh a year, someone home in the day. kWh and kr per month.
Source: priv/data/city_solar/<city>.json · scenarios[id=E-20-b0-nocar-20-home].months, savings_kr
Payback year by year: 20 panels (8.4 kW)
The kronor saved add up year by year. Where the pile passes the price (131 945 kr) the system is paid back: year 17.
| Year | Saved in total | Net |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 8 014 kr | −123 931 kr |
| 5 | 40 070 kr | −91 875 kr |
| 10 | 80 140 kr | −51 805 kr |
| 15 | 120 210 kr | −11 735 kr |
| 17 | 136 238 kr | 4 293 kr |
| 20 | 160 280 kr | 28 335 kr |
| 25 | 200 350 kr | 68 405 kr |
| Payback | 16.5 years | 68 405 kr |
The same savings every year, no price changes; the battery's extra savings count for 10 years. Roof facing east, 20,000 kWh a year, someone home in the day. kWh and kr per month.
Source: priv/data/city_solar/<city>.json · scenarios[id=E-20-b0-nocar-20-home].price_kr, savings_kr, battery_savings_kr, net_25_kr
Savings per month: 20 panels (8.4 kW)
How 8 037 kr a year spreads over the year. The summer months give the most; winter little, because the sun is low.
| Month | Solar | Used | Sold | Bought | Saved |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 59 | 59 | 0 | 2,542 | 132 kr |
| Feb | 164 | 164 | 0 | 2,039 | 367 kr |
| Mar | 472 | 471 | 2 | 1,333 | 643 kr |
| Apr | 803 | 459 | 343 | 343 | 718 kr |
| May | 1,060 | 440 | 621 | 162 | 1 052 kr |
| Jun | 1,148 | 599 | 549 | 204 | 1 314 kr |
| Jul | 1,105 | 686 | 419 | 319 | 1 040 kr |
| Aug | 850 | 657 | 193 | 551 | 1 106 kr |
| Sep | 546 | 535 | 10 | 1,076 | 943 kr |
| Oct | 260 | 260 | 0 | 1,756 | 483 kr |
| Nov | 79 | 79 | 0 | 2,544 | 186 kr |
| Dec | 35 | 35 | 0 | 2,792 | 53 kr |
| Year | 6,581 | 4,444 | 2,137 | 15,661 | 8 037 kr |
Roof facing west, 20,000 kWh a year, someone home in the day. kWh and kr per month.
Source: priv/data/city_solar/<city>.json · scenarios[id=W-20-b0-nocar-20-home].months, savings_kr
Payback year by year: 20 panels (8.4 kW)
The kronor saved add up year by year. Where the pile passes the price (131 945 kr) the system is paid back: year 17.
| Year | Saved in total | Net |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 8 037 kr | −123 908 kr |
| 5 | 40 185 kr | −91 760 kr |
| 10 | 80 370 kr | −51 575 kr |
| 15 | 120 555 kr | −11 390 kr |
| 17 | 136 629 kr | 4 684 kr |
| 20 | 160 740 kr | 28 795 kr |
| 25 | 200 925 kr | 68 980 kr |
| Payback | 16.4 years | 68 980 kr |
The same savings every year, no price changes; the battery's extra savings count for 10 years. Roof facing west, 20,000 kWh a year, someone home in the day. kWh and kr per month.
Source: priv/data/city_solar/<city>.json · scenarios[id=W-20-b0-nocar-20-home].price_kr, savings_kr, battery_savings_kr, net_25_kr
Savings per month: 20 panels (8.4 kW)
How 6 552 kr a year spreads over the year. The summer months give the most; winter little, because the sun is low.
| Month | Solar | Used | Sold | Bought | Saved |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 40 | 40 | 0 | 2,561 | 90 kr |
| Feb | 99 | 99 | 0 | 2,103 | 227 kr |
| Mar | 252 | 252 | 0 | 1,552 | 353 kr |
| Apr | 548 | 441 | 106 | 361 | 628 kr |
| May | 872 | 435 | 437 | 167 | 964 kr |
| Jun | 1,012 | 602 | 410 | 202 | 1 253 kr |
| Jul | 952 | 697 | 255 | 308 | 1 015 kr |
| Aug | 660 | 627 | 34 | 581 | 977 kr |
| Sep | 334 | 334 | 0 | 1,277 | 600 kr |
| Oct | 151 | 151 | 0 | 1,865 | 283 kr |
| Nov | 53 | 53 | 0 | 2,570 | 125 kr |
| Dec | 24 | 24 | 0 | 2,803 | 37 kr |
| Year | 4,997 | 3,755 | 1,242 | 16,350 | 6 552 kr |
Roof facing north, 20,000 kWh a year, someone home in the day. kWh and kr per month.
Source: priv/data/city_solar/<city>.json · scenarios[id=N-20-b0-nocar-20-home].months, savings_kr
Payback year by year: 20 panels (8.4 kW)
The kronor saved add up year by year. Where the pile passes the price (131 945 kr) the system is paid back: year 21.
| Year | Saved in total | Net |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 6 552 kr | −125 393 kr |
| 5 | 32 760 kr | −99 185 kr |
| 10 | 65 520 kr | −66 425 kr |
| 15 | 98 280 kr | −33 665 kr |
| 20 | 131 040 kr | −905 kr |
| 21 | 137 592 kr | 5 647 kr |
| 25 | 163 800 kr | 31 855 kr |
| Payback | 20.1 years | 31 855 kr |
The same savings every year, no price changes; the battery's extra savings count for 10 years. Roof facing north, 20,000 kWh a year, someone home in the day. kWh and kr per month.
Source: priv/data/city_solar/<city>.json · scenarios[id=N-20-b0-nocar-20-home].price_kr, savings_kr, battery_savings_kr, net_25_kr