How Solarable works.

The method

How the roof check works.

From a house number and postcode we find your building and read its roof — no installer phone call, no satellite guesswork.

1. We locate your home. Your address resolves to a specific building and we draw its footprint from mapping data — your roof, not your street.
2. We estimate the roof direction. From the footprint geometry we work out which way each roof face is likely to point, on an eight-point compass.
3. We show a confidence signal. Simple, rectangular roofs read clearly; complex shapes are flagged as lower confidence rather than dressed up as certainty.
4. You confirm or correct it. One tap flips the direction if we read it wrong — your answer feeds the score.

The method

How the Solarable Score works.

The score combines three things: which way your roof faces, how confident we are in that reading, and how much usable sunlight your region gets across the year. It lands on a 0–100 scale, mapped to one of five bands — each with a plain-English label, never a colour on its own.

• Strong A roof facing close to south, with good confidence. A strong candidate worth a survey.
• Good South-east or south-west, or south with a little uncertainty. Usually well worth pursuing.
• Possible East or west-facing roofs. Often still worthwhile, frequently better with a battery.
• May be difficult North-leaning or low-confidence roofs. A survey may find a better face on the same home.
• Not enough information When we can't read the roof confidently, we say so rather than guess a number.

The score tells you whether a roof is worth a closer look — not a guaranteed outcome. The survey is where suitability is confirmed.

The method

How the savings calculator works.

You give us four things; we give you honest ranges, never a single false-precision number on a stranger's house.

Figures use 2026 UK assumptions and your region's sunlight. A south-facing UK roof typically pays back in 8–12 years; east or west adds a year or two.

Honest limits

What we can't see.

• Shading from chimneys, neighbouring roofs, and trees — it can cut output more than you'd expect on smaller roofs.
• Planning constraints. Listed buildings and conservation areas can need permission. A local installer will know.
• Roof condition. Older roofs sometimes need work before panels go on; the survey checks the structure.

That's why we always recommend an installer survey before you commit. Solarable's estimates help you decide whether that survey is worth booking — they don't replace it.

The directory

A directory, not a lead machine.

When your postcode matches an installer's service area, their listing appears beneath your report and your calculator results. The difference is in how the directory is run:

• Every installer is MCS-certified. We check their certificate against the MCS register before they go live — here's how we vet installers.
• Featured listings are labelled as paid placement. You always know what's a paid position and what isn't.
• We don't resell your details. No quote reselling, no managed lead routing, no commission on installs. You contact installers directly.