Is Your Roof Ready for Solar?
Enter your address and we'll use Google's satellite imagery to analyze your roof's solar potential — sunshine hours, panel fit, and estimated savings.
☗Check Your Roof's Solar Potential
Enter your address to see if your roof is a good fit for solar. Uses Google's satellite imagery and AI analysis.
This is an estimate based on satellite imagery. A free on-site assessment will provide more accurate numbers for your home.
How This Works
This tool uses Google's Solar API, which analyzes satellite imagery and 3D modeling to estimate your roof's solar potential. It accounts for roof angle, orientation, and nearby shading from trees and buildings.
Important: This is an estimate, not a guarantee. Actual system design requires an on-site or detailed remote assessment that considers your specific energy usage, electrical panel, utility interconnection requirements, and roof condition. Call (618) 217-2001 for a free custom design.
What Does a Solar Roof Assessment Check?
A solar assessment looks at whether your roof can hold panels that produce enough power to make solar worth it. It's a mix of physical checks (can panels actually go there) and production checks (how much sun will they see). Here's what our installer partners actually evaluate.
Orientation and Roof Angle
South-facing roof planes generally produce the most energy in Illinois, with east and west planes close behind. North-facing sections can still work, just at a lower output. Roof pitch matters too — most Illinois homes have a slope that works fine for standard racking without special equipment.
Shading From Trees and Nearby Structures
Even partial shade on part of an array can drag down production for the whole system, so shading throughout the day and across seasons gets mapped out. This is where satellite and 3D modeling tools like the one above help — they can spot shade patterns that are easy to miss standing in the yard.
Roof Age, Condition, and Material
Asphalt shingle, metal, and tile roofs can all support solar, though mounting hardware differs by material. Roof age matters more than material: if a roof is likely to need replacement within the next 5-10 years, that's worth addressing before installation, since removing and reinstalling panels later adds cost.
Sun Hours and Local Solar Potential
Illinois gets more usable sun than most people expect — solar panels perform well in the Midwest, including cold weather (they're actually more efficient in cooler temps), and snow typically slides off a tilted array within a day or two. Peak sun hours vary somewhat by location across the state, which is one of the inputs that goes into sizing a system correctly.
What If My Roof Needs Work First?
If an assessment flags roof condition as a concern, that's not a dead end — it just means roofing work happens before or alongside the solar install. Some homeowners handle roof repair or replacement separately; others fold it into the same project so the roof and the solar system are installed together. Either way, it's better to know upfront than to find out after panels are already up. Call (618) 217-2001 and we'll talk through what your specific roof needs.