How to prepare for a virtual site visit

One key step to going solar is ensuring that your home is ready for installation. Once you've signed a contract with a solar installer, the next step is typically for an engineer (not a salesperson) to conduct a site visit to ensure that your home's structure and electrical wiring are compatible with your new solar panel system.

In the past, most site visits were conducted in person, but more and more installers are switching to virtual site visits to make the process easier and quicker. The sooner you complete your site visit, the sooner you can start saving with solar energy. And, with the federal solar tax credit expiring completely after 2025, a virtual site visit can help you move through the installation process faster to claim this valuable incentive. 

We'll explain what your installer will learn from a virtual site visit and how you can prepare to make it as successful as possible.

Site visits are an essential part of the process of going solar. Either before signing a contract or soon thereafter, your installer will need to conduct a site visit as a final check to ensure the solar panel system you're purchasing is suitable for your home and vice versa. 

A virtual site visit is the remote collection of information and pictures that your installer would otherwise gather by visiting your home. As part of the virtual site visit, you'll likely need to take pictures or videos of key areas in your home and send them to your installer so they can make sure everything looks ready for your solar installation. You may also need to gather some information about when certain parts of your home were most recently updated.

Virtual site visits can make going solar easier and faster for most homeowners, but they're especially important right now with the federal solar tax credit ending after 2025. The 30% tax credit is worth an average of $9,000 in savings and will disappear completely after December 31, 2025. With typical solar installations taking 2-3 months and increased demand expected as the deadline approaches, every week counts.

By conducting your site visit virtually, you can potentially save 1-2 weeks compared to scheduling an in-person visit, giving you more buffer time to complete your installation before the tax credit expires.

During a virtual site visit, there are a few pieces of information that your installer will need to make sure are ready for your solar installation. Here’s what you need to do to prepare this information quickly and easily:

1. Roof measurement and pitch

The first—and one of the most important—steps of a virtual site visit is assessing your roof. Your installer will need to understand your roof's size, orientation, and angle so they can finalize the design of the system accordingly. This step won't require anything from you except your address—installers will use a satellite image of your roof for measurements. When you get quotes through EnergySage, we provide these images directly to installers.

2. Solar exposure

Next, your installer will need to understand your roof's sun exposure by conducting a shade analysis. If you have large trees near your house, you may need to trim them to ensure your solar panel system gets enough sunlight to be worth it. You also won't need to provide anything at this step—your installer can again use the satellite imagery provided by EnergySage and perform the shading analysis using an available software service, like Scanifly.

3. Roof conditions

Your installer will need to know approximately how old your roof is and if you've had any leaks or other issues with it. Generally, solar panel systems last about 25 to 30 years, so you want to make sure your roof can support that lifespan. 

If you receive quotes through EnergySage, we'll request some of this information upfront so your installer will already have a good idea of your roof's status. From there, they'll use the satellite imagery to assess whether there are any areas that need repair or present concern, and whether there are any roof obstructions.

4. Electrical system status

As part of the virtual site visit, you'll need to provide photos of a few main components of your home's electrical system. Your installer will use the photos to understand the age and location of these components so they can plan how to interconnect your solar panel system and decide if you need to make any upgrades before going solar. Here are the photos you'll need to take:

Electric meter

Depending on where you live, your electric meter could be located on the outside or inside of your house. Make sure your photo clearly shows the number displayed on your electric meter, as this will be necessary in your interconnection application.

Main electrical panel

In some states, like California and Florida, your electrical panel will likely be located on the outside of your house. In other states, it could be in places like a basement, garage, or closet. 

For this photo, first, take a wide shot photo of the closed electrical panel from about 10 feet back so your installer can get a feel for the area they'll be working in. Next, open the panel to get a close-up of the breakers, the equipment label, and the main line (this should come into your electrical box from your electric meter).

Transfer switch

Not every home has a transfer switch, so it's possible you won't need to take this photo—but if you have a whole-home generator or a home battery, you'll likely have a transfer switch adjacent to your electrical panel. Be sure to alert your installer if you have one of these and send them a picture of this device as well, as it will impact the electrical design and layout of your solar panel system.

5. Structural information

During your solar panel installation, your installer will need to access areas in your house to install equipment. For the virtual site visit, you should take photos of a few key areas so your installer can decide how they want to place the equipment, including:

Attic

It's important to provide photos of your attic (or crawl space) so your installer can assess its structure and decide where to run conduit. Additionally, these photos from the underside of your roof help your installer determine the spacing and condition of your roof rafters.

Side of your house and yard where your installation will occur

In an ideal solar setup, your panels will be installed on the south side of your roof. But, depending on your roof's orientation, east- and west-facing setups often work as well. You'll need to take a photo of the side of your house where your panels will likely be installed (you'll see this information in your quotes), as well as the area in front of your home. Your installer will then use these photos to plan where they'll stage and install your equipment.

Other house photos

If your installation will be located in the back or on the side of your home, it's also a good idea to take photos of the front and/or side of your house. This way, your installer can make sure they'll have enough room to access the installation areas.

Roofing material

Getting a close-up photo of your roof material will help your installer assess its condition (i.e., are the shingles wilting at all?) and determine the equipment they'll need to complete your installation. If your roof is high up and you can't safely get a close picture, don't worry—just try to get as close as you can without compromising your safety.

Interior walls

Equipment like inverters or batteries is sometimes installed indoors, so it's helpful to take a few photos of areas where this equipment might be placed (like in a garage) to help your installer with their planning.

With the tax credit deadline approaching, here are ways to make your virtual site visit as efficient as possible:

• Prepare photos in advance: Before your scheduled virtual site visit, take all the photos mentioned above and organize them in a folder. This allows the visit to move quickly without technical delays.

• Ensure good lighting: Take photos during daylight hours when possible for the clearest images of your electrical components and roof materials.

• Have backup options: If you can't access your attic safely, let your installer know immediately so they can arrange an alternative assessment method.

• Double-check photo quality: Make sure all text on electrical panels and meters is clearly readable in your photos to avoid follow-up requests.