Free Remote Solar Feasibility Survey

Most UK commercial solar enquiries waste 4–8 weeks getting from "interested" to "informed enough to decide". The first site visit happens too early, before there's a generation model. Buyers commit time and budget without knowing the numbers. Our remote feasibility flips that — the modelling happens first, the site visit only happens if the numbers work.

What is a remote solar feasibility survey?

A remote feasibility study is a desk-based engineering design, executed by our solar design team, using:

• Satellite imagery (high-resolution, recent — pulled from licensed providers, not Google Maps)
• Your building's roof outline and orientation, traced from imagery
• Local PVSyst irradiance data calibrated to your postcode
• Your 12-month half-hourly meter data (energy consumption profile)
• Your current electricity tariff structure
• Smart Export Guarantee tariff assumptions
• Building height + adjacent obstructions (shading model)

The output is a 4-to-8-page PDF report containing: system size in kWp, panel layout drawing, annual generation forecast, month-by-month yield, year-1 saving, 25-year cumulative saving, payback period, IRR, NPV, and an indicative installed cost range.

What you need to provide

Three items — none of which require any of your team's time:

1. Building postcode + property name. We pull the roof outline from satellite imagery.
2. Half-hourly meter data, last 12 months. Free request from your electricity supplier — usually delivered as a CSV by email within 7 days.
3. Current electricity unit rate(s). One number from your latest invoice. If you're on a half-hourly tariff structure, send the full tariff schedule.

That's it. We handle building outline, irradiance modelling, system sizing, financial modelling — all from our office.

What you receive

Within 5 working days of receiving your data, we deliver a feasibility PDF containing:

• Executive summary — recommended system size, year-1 saving, payback, 25-year saving, headline numbers a CFO can act on.
• Site plan — building outline with proposed panel layout overlaid. Identifies shading risks, plant rooms, structural penetration points.
• System specification — proposed panel make/model, inverter strategy, mounting type, cabling route, DC and AC isolator locations.
• Generation forecast — annual kWh, month-by-month breakdown, year-by-year output curve over 25 years.
• Financial model — installed cost range, year-1 saving, payback, IRR, NPV, 25-year cumulative saving. AIA / Full Expensing impact pre-modelled.
• Risk register — items that need to be confirmed at on-site survey: roof condition, structural capacity, DNO connection availability, plant room space.
• Next steps — what we'd do at the on-site survey, lead time to commissioning, indicative payment milestones.

Why we offer it free

Three reasons:

• It's how we screen good projects. We can't run on-site surveys for everyone — there are too many enquiries. Remote feasibility tells both sides whether the numbers work before we commit a survey day.
• It builds trust. CFOs and FDs make better decisions with a 6-page report than with a 1-page sales sheet. We'd rather lose a deal because the numbers don't work than win a deal where the customer is surprised later.
• It's leveraged. One designer can produce 8–10 remote feasibilities per week. The same designer can attend 1–2 on-site surveys. Remote feasibility lets us scale the funnel.

What happens after the feasibility

If the numbers work — which they do for most commercial buildings with ≥10 years of remaining roof life and ≥30kW of daytime electrical demand — we move to the on-site survey. That's a 1-day visit covering structural assessment, electrical room inspection, roof condition survey, and DNO connection routing. Final design + fixed-price proposal land within 5 working days of survey.

If the numbers don't work — typically because of shading, roof age, low daytime demand, or unfavourable export ratio — we tell you. We'd rather decline a marginal project than win it and underperform.

How does this compare to other "remote feasibility" tools?

Some installers offer a 30-second postcode-input web tool that returns generic averages. That's a marketing instrument, not engineering. Our remote feasibility is run by our solar design team, in PVSyst, against your actual meter data — the same software and methodology used for full on-site engineered design. The only difference is we skip the site visit until the numbers warrant it.

Frequently asked questions

How long does the remote feasibility take?

5 working days from receipt of your meter data and building details to delivery of the PDF report. Sometimes faster on simpler projects.

Do I have to commit to anything?

No. The remote feasibility is genuinely free with no obligation. Around 60% of feasibility studies result in a customer asking us to proceed; the remaining 40% file the report and decide later (often years later). Either is fine.

What if my meter data shows we're too small for solar?

If your daytime electrical load is below ~30kWh/day average, the feasibility will show it. We'll either suggest a smaller system sized to actual demand, or recommend you reconsider in 18 months when your load profile may have shifted.

What if I don't have meter data?

If you can't access half-hourly data, send your last 12 months of bills (showing total kWh consumed). We'll model with monthly resolution instead — slightly less precise but still useful.

What if the feasibility numbers and the on-site survey numbers disagree?

If the on-site survey reveals a material constraint (asbestos roof requiring replacement, structural concerns, DNO connection unavailable), we'll re-run the feasibility model and present revised numbers. Roughly 1 in 8 surveys reveal a constraint that changes the headline numbers materially.

Is this the same as a "G99 grid feasibility"?

No. G99 grid feasibility checks whether the local DNO can accept the proposed export — that's a separate technical step we run later. The remote feasibility is the design + financial modelling stage.

What's the catch?

None. We provide the report, you decide whether to proceed. We invest the design hours because (a) it screens good projects efficiently, (b) it builds trust, and (c) most commercial buyers only proceed once they have credible engineering numbers in front of them.