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Solar suitability

Is the home suitable for solar?

Roof direction, pitch, area, shading, features and condition — plus how the household uses electricity and what local or technical requirements might apply. Here is what shapes the answer, and why it cannot be fully answered online.

Request a solar proposal Electricity use
  1. Home
  2. Roof
  3. Usage
  4. System
  5. Proposal
  6. Decision
  7. Project path
Brick houses with dormer windows and pitched tiled roofs under a blue sky

Roof reading

Direction
To be noted
Pitch
To be noted
Shading
To be assessed
Condition
Technical confirmation

Illustrative reading

Roof context Photo: Annie Spratt on Unsplash

01 Roof

Start with the roof.

A roof is not a blank rectangle. Its direction, angle, shape and shade all influence what could be proposed, and some of it can only be confirmed on site.

Illustrative roof view — not a technical survey

Illustrative roof view — not a technical survey A drawing of a pitched roof plane facing the viewer. A dashed boundary marks an indicative usable area inside the roof edges. A chimney casts a shadow across part of the plane and a nearby tree shades the left edge, so modules are drawn only where the plane is clear. A compass shows orientation, a side elevation shows pitch, and a rooflight marks a roof feature. Final suitability depends on technical assessment. N S PITCH
Numbered markers correspond to the list. Module positions are conceptual and avoid the shaded areas.

  1. ORIENTATION

    The compass direction each roof plane faces affects how much daylight reaches it through the day and year.

  2. PITCH

    The angle of the roof changes how directly sunlight meets the modules across the seasons.

  3. USABLE AREA

    The clear space left after edges, set-backs and obstructions limits how many modules could fit.

  4. SHADING

    Chimneys, trees, dormers and neighbouring buildings can shade parts of a roof at different times.

  5. ROOF GEOMETRY

    Hips, valleys, ridges, rooflights and vents break a roof into shapes that may or may not suit modules.

  6. CONDITION / TECHNICAL CONFIRMATION

    The roof covering and structure need confirming as suitable by an appropriate technical assessment.

Final suitability depends on the individual property and appropriate technical assessment.

Chimneys and slate rooflines along a row of terraced houses
Roof context Photo: Richard Bell on Unsplash
Conceptual study of slate roof planes on a brick house in golden-hour light Conceptual image
Conceptual roof study Generated imagery, not a real property or installation

02 Features & condition

What sits on the roof, and what it’s made of.

Beyond direction and pitch, the details of a roof decide how a layout could work — and whether anything should happen to the roof first.

  1. 01 ROOF FEATURES

    Chimneys, dormers, rooflights and vents

    Each one takes space and may cast shade. Modules are laid out around them, which can change how many fit and where.

  2. 02 ROOF COVERING

    Tile, slate or other coverings

    Different coverings use different fixing methods. Some are more straightforward than others; all need confirming for the specific roof.

  3. 03 ROOF CONDITION

    Condition and structure

    A roof expected to need work soon is worth discussing before solar is added. Structural suitability is confirmed by appropriate assessment, not online.

  4. 04 ACCESS

    Access to the roof

    How the roof can be reached safely affects how an installation is planned. This is one of many practical details confirmed for the project.

03 Electricity use

The household matters as much as the roof.

A roof sets what could be generated. The household decides how much of that is useful at the moment it is produced. Two identical roofs can suit very different systems because of the people underneath them.

  1. 01 ANNUAL USE

    How much electricity the home uses

    Usually shown in kWh on a bill or supplier account. A year of data is more useful than a single month.

  2. 02 DAYTIME OCCUPANCY

    When the home is occupied

    Homes with people in during the day can often use more solar electricity as it is generated.

  3. 03 LARGE LOADS

    Larger appliances and their timing

    Washing machines, dishwashers, electric cooking and similar loads change the daily profile.

  4. 04 FUTURE CHANGES

    Changes the household expects

    Working from home or other planned changes may affect electricity use, and are worth mentioning in an enquiry.

How usage affects outcomes

A lived-in UK living room in daylight
UK home context Photo: Point3D Commercial Imaging Ltd. on Unsplash

04 Local / technical requirements

Some answers sit outside the house.

Depending on the property and the system, there may be planning, network, electrical or documentation requirements. These are confirmed for the individual installation, not assumed.

  1. 01 PLANNING

    Planning considerations

    Many domestic roof installations do not need a planning application, but listed buildings, conservation areas and some roof positions can be different. This should be checked for the individual property.

  2. 02 NETWORK

    Electricity network requirements

    The local network operator may need to be notified of, or asked to approve, a connection depending on the system. This is handled as part of the project path.

  3. 03 ELECTRICAL

    Existing electrical installation

    The consumer unit and wiring may need checking or work before a system can be connected.

  4. 04 BUILDING

    Building regulations and documentation

    Relevant requirements and documentation should be confirmed for the individual installation.

05 Preparing

Useful to have to hand.

None of these are required to start a conversation, but they make the first one more useful.
  • 01A recent electricity bill or annual usage figure, if available
  • 02The approximate direction the main roof faces
  • 03Anything that shades the roof: trees, chimneys, neighbouring buildings
  • 04Roof features such as dormers or rooflights
  • 05Whether the property is listed or in a conservation area, if known
  • 06When the household is usually at home during the day

Questions

Suitability questions

Which direction should a roof face for solar?

In the UK, south-facing roofs typically receive the most daylight, but east- and west-facing roofs can also be considered — generation is spread differently through the day. Orientation is one input among several in a generation estimate.

Can solar go on a flat roof?

Flat roofs can sometimes be considered using a suitable mounting approach. Suitability depends on the roof structure, covering, space and other factors confirmed for the individual property.

Does shading rule a roof out?

Not necessarily. It depends on how much of the roof is shaded, when, and for how long. Shading should be assessed and reflected in the assumptions behind any estimate.

Can I find out if my home is suitable online?

Online information can help you prepare, and an enquiry can begin the conversation, but final suitability depends on the individual property and appropriate technical assessment.

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What could solar look like on your home?

Tell us about the property and household electricity use to begin the conversation.

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