Can I Get Solar Panels? Your Roof Suitability Checklist

Before spending £5,000-£10,000 on solar panels, you need to know one thing: will solar panels actually work on MY roof?

We now know the value of solar energy, we know we stand to save hundreds on our energy bills and we know they now have a shorter payback period and longer warranties, that’s all good stuff, but if your roof isn’t suitable for solar –  it’s worth exploring more options for reduced energy bills such as battery storage or heat pumps.

More than half the solar panels needed to hit net zero targets can fit on roofs in England alone – there are 650 square kilometres of rooftops suitable for solar panels not currently being utilised (Source: Soly).

Even better news? Most residential roofs in the UK are strong enough and pitched at a decent enough angle, and most other obstacles can be navigated (Source:  Sunsave).

But “most” isn’t the same as “yours,” right?

So let’s find out it YOUR roof is suitable for solar panels so you know if you can start saving money by generating your own electricity!

In this comprehensive guide, we’ll walk you through the critical factors that determine whether your roof in Swadlincote, Derby, or anywhere in the Midlands is suitable for solar panels – and what to do if it’s not perfect.

What you’ll learn:

• The instant roof suitability checklist
• Which roof directions ACTUALLY work (it’s not just south!)
• Minimum roof size requirements
• Unsuitable roof types (and alternatives)
• How to maximise generation on a “problem” roof

Real costs for different roof scenarios

Quick Answer: Is My Roof Suitable for Solar Panels?

 

 Your Roof is LIKELY Suitable If:

• Direction: South, Southeast, Southwest, East, or West facing
• Angle: Pitched between 15-60 degrees
• Size: At least 20m² of clear space
• Material: Tiles, slate, asphalt shingles, or metal
• Condition: Less than 15 years old OR in good condition
• Shading: No significant shading from trees/buildings
• Structure: Standard UK residential construction
• Location: Not a listed building or conservation area

Your Roof MIGHT Have Challenges (but we can likely overcome them) If:

• North-facing roof (but still possible!)
• Flat roof (requires mounting)
• Lots of chimneys, dormers, or skylights
• Significant shading for parts of the day
• Older roof that may need replacing soon
• Unusual materials (thatch, asbestos, wood)

Your Roof is NOT Suitable If:

• Thatched roof (fire risk)
• Asbestos roof (health hazard)
• Structurally unsound or damaged
• Completely shaded all day
• Glass conservatory roof

Don’t worry if you’re in the “might have challenges” category – there are almost always solutions, and we’ll cover them all.

How to check your roof direction for solar panel installation

 

How to Check:

Method 1: Use Your Phone’s Compass

1. Open your phone’s compass app
2. Stand in your garden facing your roof
3. Point your phone at the roof
4. Read the direction

Method 2: Google Maps

1. Find your house on Google Maps
2. Switch to satellite view
3. Look at which way your roof slopes face
4. Use the compass in the corner

Method 3: Sun Observation

• Does your roof get direct sunlight at midday? = South-facing ✅
• Does your roof get morning sun? = East-facing ✅
• Does your roof get afternoon/evening sun? = West-facing ✅
• Does your roof rarely get direct sun? = North-facing ⚠️

What You’re Looking For:

✅ Ideal: South, Southwest, or Southeast
✅ Good: East or West
⚠️ Possible: Northeast or Northwest
⚠️ Challenging: North

If your roof faces any direction except pure north, you have the potential to generate solar energy. Even pure north can work, it just won’t save you quite as much money.

Spot On Electrical have installed solar panels on North facing roofs. We always give our customers predicted savings for them to decide if it is worth the investment. If you intend to stay put in your current home and use a lot of energy – it would be a wise long-term investment to protect against future energy price hikes.

Next Up:
Let’s Check your roof angle for solar panel compatibility

Easy Method: The Eye Test

• Flat roof: Looks completely flat (like most garage roofs)
• Low pitch: Very gentle slope (10-20 degrees)
• Normal pitch: Standard UK house roof (30-45 degrees) ✅
• Steep pitch: Quite steep, common on older houses (50-60 degrees)

Most UK homes have normal pitch roofs—that’s perfect for solar panels.

App Method (More Accurate):

1. Download a free “Roof Pitch” or “Angle Meter” app
2. Stand back from your house
3. Point phone camera at roof
4. App calculates the angle

What You’re Looking For:

✅ Perfect: 30-45 degrees (standard UK homes) ✅ Good: 15-60 degrees ⚠️ Challenging: Flat roofs (0-10 degrees) ⚠️ Possible: Very steep (60+ degrees)

Unless your roof is completely flat or incredibly steep, the angle is probably fine. We will suggest the best option and use the materials needed to install solar panels at the best angle to capture the most of that lovely sunshine.

How to Estimate Roof Space for a solar panel installation

Simple Calculation:

1. Measure the length of your house (pace it out or use a tape measure)
2. Measure the width of the roof slope (guess from ground level)
3. Multiply: Length × Width = rough roof area

Example:

• House is 10 meters long
• Roof slope is 5 meters wide
• 10m × 5m = 50m² available

Deduct Space For:

• Chimneys: -3m² each
• Skylights: -2m² each
• Dormers: -5m² each
• Need to leave edges clear: -10% total

How Much Space Do You Need?

What You Want	Panels Needed	Space Required
Small system (cover basic energy usage))	6-8 panels	18-24m²
Medium system (typical 3-bed)	10-12 panels	28-34m²
Large system (big house)	14-16 panels	38-44m²

Quick Space Check:

Stand back and look at your roof. Can you mentally picture 10 rectangles (each about 2m × 1m) fitting on it without overlapping chimneys or windows?

• Yes, easily = ✅ Plenty of space
• Yes, if with thoughtful design = ✅ Enough space
• Maybe 5-6 panels = ⚠️ Limited but workable
• Maybe 2-3 panels = ⚠️ Let’s have a look together so that we can give you a realistic energy savings forecast for your small-space roof to understand if it is with the investment.

6-8 solar panels can mean £400-£600 saved annually. Don’t dismiss small systems!

Suitable Roof materials for solar panel installation

How to Check:

Look at your roof from the ground:

Clay/Concrete Tiles (most common)

• Look like overlapping curved or flat rectangles
• Usually brown, red, or terracotta coloured
  Perfect for solar panels

Slate

• Flat, smooth, often grey or dark coloured
• Looks more expensive/premium
• Older houses often have it
  Good for solar panels (slightly more expensive installation)

Asphalt/Composite Shingles

• Flat, textured surface
• Often on newer homes or extensions
  Perfect for solar panels

Metal

• Shiny or matte metal surface
• Less common on UK homes
• Excellent for solar panels (easiest to install)

Flat Roof (Felt/Tar)

• Completely flat surface
• Usually on extensions or garages
• ⚠️ Challenging (needs special mounting)

Roof materials that aren’t adequate for solar panels:

Thatch – Straw-like appearance → Can’t install solar panels (fire risk)
Wood shingles – Wooden tiles → Not suitable (fire risk)
Asbestos – Grey corrugated sheets (usually on very old properties/outbuildings) → Must be removed first
Glass – Conservatory roof → Can’t support solar panels

If you have normal tiles or slate, you’re absolutely fine. That covers 90% of UK homes.

Checking your roof for sun and shading for solar panel installation

This is the most important check you can do yourself.

The Sun Path Test:

Do this on a clear day:

9am Check:

• Go outside at 9am
• Look at your roof
• Is there shade cast by trees, buildings, or chimneys?
• Take a photo

12pm Check:

• Go outside at midday
• Look at your roof again
• Any shade now?
• Take a photo

3pm Check:

• Go outside at 3pm
• Check for shade again
• Take a photo

What You’re Looking For:

✅ No shade at any time = Perfect!
✅ Shade only early morning or late evening = Still excellent
⚠️ Shade for 1-2 hours during the day = Reduced output but still worthwhile
⚠️ Shade for 3-4 hours = Significant impact
❌ Shade most of the day = Let’s look at alternatives

Common Shade Sources:

Trees:

• Your trees = Can be trimmed or removed
• Neighbour’s trees = More difficult, but solutions exist

Buildings:

• Neighbouring houses casting shade = Permanent obstacle
• Your own chimney = Can work around it

Other:

• TV aerials/satellite dishes = Can be relocated
• Dormers on your own roof = Can place panels elsewhere

Quick Test:

Stand where you want panels to go (or as close as safely possible). Can you see the sky clearly for most of the middle of the day (10am-3pm)?

• Yes, completely clear = No shading issues
• Mostly clear with occasional shadows = Minor shading, solutions available
• Shade for several hours = Challenging but possible
• Shade almost all day = Not a good option – let’s explore alternatives

Shading is the biggest performance killer. But even with 25% shading, you’ll still save money, it just takes longer to pay back the investment.

Check Structural Strength (Quick Assessment)

DIY Check:

Walk around your loft (if safe):

• Do the rafters look straight and solid?
• Is the wood dry (no rot, no dampness)?
• Does anything sag or bend when you gently press it?

From outside:

• Does your roof look flat and level?
• No visible sagging or dipping?
• Gutters all level and straight?

When You Need a Professional Check:

⚠️ Get a structural survey if:

• Your house is 60+ years old
• You can see visible sagging from the street
• Your loft has large open spans (no supporting walls)
• Your roof is unusually wide
• You have a flat roof
• You’ve had previous structural issues

Of course, Spot on Electrical will guide you through all of these processes and conduct our own surveys to ensure your home and roof is suitable for solar before quoting.

Check Planning Permission Requirements

The Quick Online Check:

Step 1: Check if your property is listed

1. Go to: historicengland.org.uk/listing/the-list
2. Enter your postcode
3. See if your property appears

• If your home is not listed, planning permission is not necessary, it is it Grade I or II listed you may need listing building consent.

Step 2: Check for conservation area

1. Google: “[Your council name] conservation area map”
2. Find the map on council website
3. Check if your street is included

• Not in conservation area = No special permission needed
• In conservation area = May need permission (especially for front-facing roofs)

Standard Planning Rules (No Permission Needed If):

✅ Roof-mounted panels
✅ Don’t protrude more than 200mm from roof
✅ Not on front-facing slope that faces highway (or minimal visibility)
✅ Not on a listed building
✅ Not in a conservation area

This covers 95% of solar panel installations!

Unless your house is listed or in a conservation area, you almost certainly don’t need planning permission. But we’ll confirm this during our survey.

What If Your Roof Isn’t Perfect?

Don’t panic! Here’s what to do for common problems:

Problem: North-Facing Roof

Solutions:

• Install anyway (still saves £400-£600/year)
• Use high-efficiency panels (generate more per panel)
• Consider ground-mounted system

Your 2-Minute Solar Panel Roof Suitability Self-Assessment Checklist

Roof Direction:

☐ South/East/West facing

Roof Angle:

☐ Visible slope (not flat)

Roof Size:

☐ Can fit 8+ panels

Roof Material:

☐ Normal tiles/slate (not thatch/asbestos)

Roof Age:

☐ Under 25 years OR in visibly good condition

Shading:

☐ Mostly sunny between 10am-3pm

Structure:

☐ No visible sagging or damage

Planning:

☐ Not listed building or in conservation area

Your Score:

7-8 ticks: Your roof is perfect! Get quotes now.

5-6 ticks: Your roof is suitable. Minor adjustments may help.

3-4 ticks: Your roof has challenges but solutions exist. Expert assessment recommended.

Next Step: Get Your FREE Professional Roof Assessment

You’ve done the basic checks, now get the expert assessment.

What Our Free Survey Includes:

✅ Full roof inspection (all faces, angles, materials)
✅ Shading analysis
✅Structural assessment
✅ Exact generation predictions for YOUR roof
✅ Custom system design
✅ Fixed-price quote
✅ Honest recommendation (even if that’s “don’t install”)

Contact us for a free, friendly no-obligation solar assessment and quote

Or, read our guides on Alternatives to rooftop-solar.