Lay out a solar system from the street and quote it on the first visit.
SolarTools reads the roof from satellite and LiDAR, fits panels around vents and fire setbacks, estimates production for the address and prices the system. Then it shows the homeowner the array on their own roof.
What SolarTools will do
Read the roof from LiDAR
The pitch, direction and area of every roof plane come from elevation data, so you can lay out a system without getting on a ladder.
Fit panels around everything
Place panels around vents, chimneys, skylights and the fire setbacks your jurisdiction uses, and switch panel models to see how many fit.
Estimate production for the address
See yearly and monthly output for the location, tilt and shade, next to the homeowner's own electricity use.
Price the whole system
Inverters, racking, wire runs and labour are sized from the layout and priced line by line with your own costs.
Explain the payback plainly
Show the cost after incentives, the monthly savings and the year the system pays for itself, without a spreadsheet.
Show the array on their house
Generate a photoreal image of the finished system on the customer's roof, seen from the street.
Who it is for
Residential installers
Send a real layout and price after the first conversation, before the site survey.
Sales teams
Give every rep the same accurate first design instead of a rough panel count.
Roofers adding solar
Quote panels on the roofs you are already replacing.
How a job goes
Find the roof
Type the address and SolarTools pulls the roof planes.
Lay out panels
Fill the best planes and adjust around obstructions.
Price and payback
Equipment, labour, incentives and savings come out of the layout.
Show the homeowner
Send the picture, the production estimate and the quote together.
Why installers asked for it
A solar quote usually starts with a site survey that takes an hour and a design that takes a day. Installers told us that gap is where they lose customers to whoever answers first.
SolarTools does the first design from the address, so the survey only has to confirm it, and the homeowner sees a real number on the first visit.
From the SolarTools blog
Quoting a solar system from the street
What public LiDAR can tell you about a roof before anyone climbs it.
Explaining solar payback to a homeowner
Three numbers do most of the work: what it costs, what it saves, and when it pays for itself.
Questions
When can I use it?
SolarTools is in early access with a small group of installers. Ask to join from the contact page and tell us how many systems you install a month.
Where does the roof data come from?
From public LiDAR surveys and satellite imagery. Where LiDAR is missing or old, you can trace the roof planes by hand.
Does it replace the site survey?
No. It gives you a design to confirm on site instead of one to start from scratch.
Can I use my own equipment and prices?
Yes. You will pick the panels and inverters you install and enter your own costs.