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Will Solar Work on My Roof? Orientation, Shading and Roof Types in the Northern Rivers

Checked and updated by our licensed electricians: November 2026

Short answer: Most Northern Rivers roofs can take solar. North-facing is best, but east and west-facing roofs work well too and spread production across the day; heavy shade is the main thing that stops a good design. Tin (Colorbond), tile and most low-pitch roofs are all fine with the right mounting. Our own electricians check the roof type, pitch, condition and shading before any system is installed.

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A wide array of all-black AIKO solar panels across a grey concrete tile roof in Lennox Head, Northern Rivers NSW, installed by Sun Connect Solar
All-black AIKO panels across a tile roof in Lennox Head.

Which way should the panels face?

  • North: the most energy across the year from each panel.
  • East and west: a little less per panel, but production starts earlier and finishes later, which suits households home in the morning and late afternoon, and charges a battery for the evening. Many of our systems use two or more roof faces. See the photo below.
  • South: usually only worth it on a low-pitch roof, or when the other faces are full.
Jinko Tiger Neo solar panels on two faces of a grey Colorbond roof in Ocean Shores, Northern Rivers NSW, installed by Sun Connect Solar
Panels on two roof faces in Ocean Shores spread production across the day.

Shading: the thing that matters most

Trees, a neighbour’s house, a chimney or a hill can shade part of the roof at certain times of day or year. A little shade on a few panels can be designed around (by where panels go and how they are wired, or with panel-level electronics on some systems); heavy shade across most of the roof usually means fewer panels, or a different roof face. Hinterland homes often have tall trees close by, so we look at shading on the site visit rather than trusting a satellite photo. Our guide to cleaning and shading covers the day-to-day side.

Roof types

  • Tin / Colorbond: the simplest and most common. Panels clamp to the roof sheets with rails.
  • Concrete and terracotta tiles: fine, using tile hooks under the tiles. Old or brittle tiles can crack, so we check their condition and carry spares where needed.
  • Low-pitch and flat roofs: tilt frames lift the panels to a better angle and help them shed water and dirt. See a Mullumbimby job on tilt frames.
  • Curved, skillion and older roofs: usually possible; the roof condition is the deciding factor. If the roof needs replacing soon, do that first.

Is there enough roof space?

A typical modern panel is around 1.7 m by 1.1 m, and a 6.6 kW system needs roughly 14 to 16 panels depending on the panel. High-efficiency panels such as AIKO fit more power on a small roof. See how big a solar system you need and AIKO vs Jinko.

Near the beach

Panels are fine near the coast with the right frames and parts; some batteries have a distance rule from the coast. See solar and batteries near the coast.

Council approval

Most homes don’t need council approval for rooftop solar. Heritage-listed homes and some conservation areas can have extra rules, so we check and manage any permits before install day.

What we check before installing

Roof type, pitch, condition, orientation, shading through the day, safe access and where the cables run. Here is the full list: what a solar and battery site visit checks.

Why Northern Rivers locals choose Sun Connect Solar

  • Our own in-house team designs and installs every system. Licensed electricians, no subcontractors, from our workshop at Wilsons Creek near Mullumbimby.
  • A face-to-face site visit before every install: compliant battery position, switchboard and RCBO check, so there are no surprises on the day.
  • SAA-accredited, a NETCC Approved Seller and a Sigenergy-approved installer, NSW electrical contractor licence 343044C.
  • 25-year workmanship warranty on our installation work, rated 5.0 stars on Google by local customers.

Where we install

Our own electricians install solar and batteries across the Northern Rivers, from our workshop at Wilsons Creek near Mullumbimby: Tweed Heads, Kingscliff, Banora Point, Bilambil Heights, Pottsville, Murwillumbah, Mullumbimby, Ocean Shores, Brunswick Heads, Byron Bay, Suffolk Park, Bangalow, Lennox Head, Ballina, Alstonville and Wollongbar, Lismore, Goonellabah, Coraki and Woodburn, Evans Head. See all areas we serve or the Northern Rivers solar and battery installation page.

Questions we get asked

Will solar panels work on an east or west-facing roof?

Yes. East and west-facing panels make a little less per panel than north-facing ones, but they produce earlier and later in the day, which suits many households and charges a battery for the evening.

Can solar go on a tile roof?

Yes. Panels go on concrete and terracotta tile roofs using tile hooks under the tiles. We check the tiles’ condition first, because old or brittle tiles can crack.

Is my roof too shaded for solar?

A little shade can usually be designed around. Heavy shade across most of the roof means fewer panels or a different roof face. We check the shading on site, through the day, before the system is installed.

Do I need council approval for solar in NSW?

Most homes don’t. Heritage-listed homes and some conservation areas can have extra rules; we check and manage any permits before install day.

Can solar panels go on a flat roof?

Yes, usually on tilt frames that lift the panels to a better angle and help them shed water and dirt.

Are you independently reviewed?

Yes. As well as our Google reviews, homeowners have reviewed us on SolarQuotes, where we’re rated 4.9 from 22 reviews.

Sources

Last checked 5 November 2026. Written in our own words from the sources below and our own install experience.

Author: our director, in-house head electrician and energy expert, in the trade since 1987.

Want to know what this means for your home?

Start with the free tools (no details needed to see a result): solar and battery price calculator, is my solar battery-ready? checker or the 60-second battery quiz.

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