Solar panels in Derbyshire Solar panel installers across Derbyshire

Solar panels on Derbyshire roofs and hillsides

Which way your roof faces matters more than where in the county you live. Which? says a south-facing roof generates the most, east- or west-facing roofs about 15% less, and north-facing roofs about 30% less. Heavy shade from trees or a hillside can cut output by up to half, which is worth checking on valley and hillside homes in the Derwent Valley and the Peak District. Most panels on sale in 2026 are around 21% to 24% efficient, so the gaps between good brands are small next to the effect of direction and shade. Higher efficiency matters most on a small roof, where every panel counts. Our guide to the best solar panels compares them.

Can you put solar panels on a north-facing roof?

You can, but the sums are harder. If the house has a south, east or west slope as well, that's usually where the panels go. We look at every slope, the shade across the day and how you use electricity, then design the system around that.

Is there enough sun for solar energy?

Solar panels turn daylight into clean energy, so they need daylight rather than strong sun, and they still generate on cloudy days, just less. The panels make direct current, and an inverter turns it into the alternating current your home uses. On the government's national averages, a 4 kWp solar PV system would have made roughly 3,200 kWh in 2024, a dull year, and 3,900 kWh in 2025, a sunny one. Most of that comes from spring to early autumn, and in 2024 small home systems made only about a third as much in October to December as in April to June. Our winter guide has more. Panels are long lasting: the Energy Saving Trust expects them to last 25 years or more, so a system fitted now should generate for decades, and ours come with a 25-year product warranty and a 30-year performance warranty.