Question 1

How does the solar planner work?

Accepted Answer

You enter your house dimensions and roof pitch, and the planner calculates the usable roof area for each face. Then you set your location and roof orientation so it can estimate solar generation. Finally, it recommends a battery size based on your electricity consumption and desired self-sufficiency level.

Question 2

Why do I need to enter roof dimensions instead of just area?

Accepted Answer

Knowing the house footprint and roof pitch lets us calculate the actual sloped area of each roof face and figure out how many panels physically fit in rows and columns — rather than just dividing a flat area number by panel size. This gives a much more realistic panel count.

Question 3

What self-sufficiency percentage should I aim for?

Accepted Answer

For most homes, 70–80% is the sweet spot. Going above 80% requires disproportionately more battery capacity because you are trying to cover the last few hours of overnight usage. At 80%, you cover most evening and early-night usage from stored solar energy.

Question 4

Does this account for seasonal variation?

Accepted Answer

The generation estimates use annual average regional yield data, which implicitly accounts for seasonal variation. However, the battery sizing uses a simplified daily model. In practice, summer will significantly overproduce and winter will underproduce compared to the average.

Solar Planner

Your Roof