Residential solar
Follow
the sun.
Sunlight lands on your roof every day whether or not you collect it. The only open question is what it would be worth if you did.
01
Daylight is already arriving.
Every roof collects sunlight all day. Without panels on it, that energy lands, warms the shingles, and leaves. Solar is not a new supply of anything — it is the decision to keep what was already being delivered.
02
The sun does not stand still.
It crosses the sky, and the angle it strikes a fixed panel at changes all day. Tracking mounts turn to meet it — the field above you is doing exactly that as you scroll, rotating on its torque tube to hold the sun square.
03
Then it is just arithmetic.
Roof area, orientation, shade, and what your utility charges you per kilowatt-hour. Those four numbers decide whether this works on your house. They are knowable in about a minute.
The arithmetic
Run your own numbers.
No email, no phone number, no form. Nothing you type here is sent anywhere or saved — move the slider and the answer moves with it.
California avg. $0.32/kWh · 5.8 peak sun hrs/day
Recommended system
3.6 kW system
Your monthly bill
The energy part of the bill, with about 90% of it covered. It does not model fixed charges, minimum bills or your utility’s net-metering rules — those stay on the bill and vary by utility.
Over 25 years that is about $49,000.
That is simply this year’s saving multiplied by 25. It assumes today’s rate holds flat for 25 years and the panels never lose output. Neither is true — treat it as a scale, not a projection.
Yearly savings
$1,949
estimated · California
Annual energy
6,097
kWh / year
Roof area
158
sq ft needed
What 9 panels looks like
about 158 sq ft of roof
Count them if you like — there are exactly 9. The shape is a module’s rough proportions; the arrangement is not a plan for your roof.
What this cannot know
Your actual rate
It uses your state's average. Yours is on your bill and will differ.
Your roof
Pitch, orientation and usable area decide how many panels physically fit.
Shade
One tree or neighbouring roof at the wrong hour changes production materially.
What it costs
No price is estimated here, so no payback period is either.
Based on California's 2024 average residential rate of 31.97 cents per kWh (EIA). Production is a planning estimate, not a measured figure for your roof. Your own rate is on your bill.
Sizing uses peak sun hours and a 400 W panel rating, set to offset about 90% of your usage. Real sizing needs someone on your roof looking at shade and orientation.
Like what you see? Take it further.
Nothing above was a commitment and nothing changes that now. If you want this run properly against your actual roof and your actual bill, there are two ways and both are yours to start.
Find out what your roof is worth.
You have the estimate. The next step is someone looking at your actual roof — by phone, or at whysolarisbetter.com.