Free Solar Report for Your UK Property: Check Your Home's Potential

Before you spend a penny on a plug-in solar system, you need to know one crucial thing: Is your property actually suitable for solar?

Some homes get all-day sun. Others have chimneys, trees, or neighbouring buildings casting shadows. Some flats have north-facing balconies; others have south-west facing walls that catch afternoon sun beautifully.

A Solar Report answers this question by analysing satellite imagery and the sun's path to give you a detailed assessment of your property's solar potential. Our free tool gives you a map-based report in seconds—no postcode entry, no sign-up—just click on your property and get a solar grade plus placement recommendations.

This article explains what a Solar Report contains, how to read it, and how to use the results alongside the savings calculator.

What a Solar Report Measures

A Solar Report assesses three key things:

1. Overall Solar Potential Grade

Your property is graded as one of five levels:

• Excellent – All-day unshaded sun exposure. South or south-east facing surfaces get excellent daily irradiance. Highly suitable for plug-in solar.
• Very Good – Mostly unshaded, good sun exposure. South or south-west facing surfaces. Very suitable.
• Good – Some shade (e.g. morning shade from a building, afternoon shade from trees). Still viable, expect 10–20% output loss. Moderately suitable.
• Limited – Significant shade (e.g. north-facing balcony, surrounded by tall buildings). Less than ideal, but possible in some seasons. Less suitable; payback is longer.
• Not Ideal – Heavy shade or poor aspect (north-facing roof, deep courtyard, tall tree overhead all day). Not recommended for plug-in solar unless you can place panels elsewhere.

This grade is based on:

• Building footprint data (OpenStreetMap) – location and height of your building and neighbours
• Elevation data – your property's altitude and terrain
• Solar geometry – the sun's exact path across your property on the summer solstice, spring equinox, and winter solstice

2. Sun Path Visualization

The report shows the sun's path (azimuth and altitude) across your property on three key dates:

• Summer solstice (21 June) – longest day, highest sun angle
• Equinox (20 March / 22 September) – mid-point, moderate angle
• Winter solstice (21 December) – shortest day, lowest sun angle

This helps you understand when shade appears and disappears. For example:

• "My north-facing balcony is shaded all day, even in summer" ← not viable
• "My south-facing roof is fully sunny in summer, but gets a chimney shadow 9–11am in winter" ← still good (winter generation is low anyway)
• "My east-facing balcony is fully sunny until 2pm, then shaded by a building" ← decent for morning generation, accept afternoon loss

3. Optimal Placement Recommendations

The report suggests where on your property panels would perform best:

• Front roof (south-facing)
• Rear roof
• Side wall
• Balcony (if suitable)
• Garden frame (if you have space)

For each placement, it estimates the relative output compared to ideal (e.g. "this placement generates 85% of a south-facing roof mount").

How to Use the Solar Report

The Solar Report tool is map-based. Here's how:

1. Navigate to your property – zoom into your address on the map
2. Click on your building – the map will focus on your property footprint
3. Select your placement – roof, balcony, garden, wall
4. View your report – scroll through the assessment, sun path, and recommendation

You don't enter your postcode; you just click on the map. Your location is never stored or logged.

Takes ~2 minutes.

Interpreting Your Report: Real Examples

Example 1: South-Facing Semi-Detached House, London

• Grade: Excellent
• Sun path: Fully exposed June–December. Winter shadow from house across street 11am–1pm, negligible.
• Best placement: South-facing roof, tilted 25°
• Relative output: 95% of ideal (near-perfect)
• Next step: Run the calculator with "South-facing, roof-top, London" to see estimated savings

Example 2: North-Facing Flat Balcony, Leeds

• Grade: Limited
• Sun path: Shaded all day except brief 3–4pm morning sun in summer. Winter barely gets any direct sun.
• Best placement: Not the north-facing balcony. Consider a shared roof space or south-facing wall elsewhere.
• Relative output: 20–30% of ideal (too low)
• Next step: Ask your building management if there's a south-facing roof or communal balcony you could use. If not, solar may not be suitable.

Example 3: South-West Facing Terraced House with Tree Nearby, Bristol

• Grade: Good
• Sun path: Full sun June–August. Sept–May: afternoon shade from large oak tree 3–5pm.
• Best placement: South or south-west facing roof (trees shade vertically panels less than roofs)
• Relative output: 80–85% of ideal (10–15% loss due to tree)
• Next step: Run the calculator with the reduced output factor in mind (~15% penalty). Still viable, payback ~3.9 years instead of 3.1.

Example 4: Flat Roof + South-West Facing Balcony, Manchester

• Grade: Very Good
• Sun path: Full sun all year except brief morning shadow from adjacent building 8–9am in winter.
• Best placement: South-west facing balcony vertical mount (acceptable; 78% of tilted output) or shared roof if available.
• Relative output: 75% of ideal (due to vertical orientation) but accounting for aspect, ~82% of south-facing tilted.
• Next step: Run the calculator with "balcony, south-west, Manchester" to compare vertical vs. tilted options.

When to Get a Professional Survey Instead

The Solar Report is great for a quick DIY assessment, but a professional installer may recommend a physical survey if:

1. Your property is complex – multiple roofs, valleys, skylights, unusual angles. A survey captures the real tilt angles and orientations.
2. You have nearby shade sources that the satellite data might miss – a newly planted tree, a building under construction, or fine details like TV aerials that cast micro-shadows.
3. You're considering roof-mounted panels – a professional will check structural load, existing roof condition, and safe mounting points.
4. You have planning or conservation concerns – listed buildings, conservation areas, or unusual circumstances may need a professional assessment before committing.

The Solar Report is a starting point; a professional survey (typically £150–£300, done by an installer) adds certainty.

Solar Report + Calculator: The One-Two Punch

The Solar Report answers the qualitative question: Is my property suitable?

The Calculator answers the quantitative question: How much will I save?

Use them together:

1. Run the Solar Report – check your property's grade and get a sun-exposure assessment
2. If your grade is "Good" or better, proceed to the calculator
3. If your grade is "Limited" or "Not Ideal", either:
   • Look for an alternative placement (shared roof, nearby garden, south-facing wall)
   • Accept the reduced output and run the calculator with a penalty factor (e.g. -30% for significant shade)
   • Consider a battery to shift generation to evening (more valuable, but expensive)
   • Skip solar and invest elsewhere

What the Solar Report Can't Tell You

The Solar Report uses public satellite data and sun-geometry calculations. It can't see:

• Panel shadows from fine detail – micro-shadows from roof vents, aerials, or small trees
• Soiling and cleaning – bird droppings, moss, or dust reduce real output by 5–15%
• Wiring losses – real systems have ~5% wiring loss; the report assumes ideal
• Inverter inefficiency – varies by inverter; the report assumes standard efficiency
• Local weather patterns – PVGIS provides average cloud cover, but your specific microclimate may be sunnier or cloudier
• Structural load – the report doesn't assess if your roof can handle a panel mount

For these details, you need either a professional survey or real-world monitoring after installation.

Beyond the Report: Shade Mitigation

If the Solar Report shows shade, you have options:

Option 1: Accept It

"My property gets 80% of ideal output." Run the calculator with -20% output. Payback extends from 3.1 to 3.9 years. Still viable? Go ahead.

Option 2: Trim the Tree

If a tree is casting shade, a winter prune (with permission from neighbours and local authority if needed) can recover 10–20% output.

Option 3: Reposition Panels

East or west-facing walls might avoid shade entirely. Balcony panels might avoid building shadows if you orient them differently.

Option 4: Battery Storage

A battery lets you store afternoon solar and use it in evening and morning. More expensive (~£200+), but gains ~15–20% effective savings if you have evening load and a Time-of-Use tariff. See Battery vs No Battery for cost-benefit analysis.

Option 5: Different Placement

If your roof is shaded but you have a south-facing garden or balcony, use that instead. The Solar Report should highlight alternative placements.

Real-World: What Grades Mean for Payback

Here's how Solar Report grades translate to actual payback periods (for an 800W system, London, standard tariff):

Bottom line: "Good" or better is typically worth doing. "Limited" requires either a perfect tariff, high self-consumption, or battery storage to pencil out. "Not Ideal" is usually not recommended unless you have a very favorable tariff or can optimize placement.

How Often Should You Recheck?

Buildings change. Trees grow. Neighbouring properties are built. Recheck the Solar Report:

• After major construction nearby – if a building appears next door, your shade may have changed
• Every 3–5 years if you have trees nearby – growth or trimming affects shade patterns
• Before buying a property – include the Solar Report in your due diligence if solar is important to you

The tool is free and quick, so there's no cost to revisiting.

Key Takeaways

• Use the Solar Report first – it's free, quick, and gives you a go/no-go decision.
• Grades of "Good" or better are worth pursuing – payback stays under 4.5 years.
• Shading can be mitigated – trim trees, reposition panels, or add a battery.
• Combine with the Calculator – the Report tells you if solar is suitable; the Calculator tells you how much you'll save.
• Professional survey adds certainty – if you're serious about installation, pay for a site visit.

Ready to check your property? Run the Solar Report.