Roof Space Needed for Solar: Will the Quoted System Fit?
Square feet per kilowatt is a guess. Fire code pathways, ridge setbacks, obstructions and panel size decide the fit, and the layout drawing is the proof.
Hamza Arham Rizvi
Solar Panels and Shade Trees: How Much Shade Is Too Much?
One shaded panel can drag down others or none, depending on the wiring. How shade is modeled, what to ask for, and when trees rule out the roof.
Hamza Arham Rizvi
South Facing Roof Solar: What Direction and Pitch Cost
South is the reference, not a requirement. What a DOE lab chart says about direction and tilt, when west can matter more, and how to model your own roof.
Hamza Arham Rizvi
Peak Sun Hours by State: What the Tables Leave Out
State sun-hour tables average away your roof. What a peak sun hour is, why the tables disagree, and the free public tool that models your own address.
Hamza Arham Rizvi
How to Get Out of a Solar Contract: Your Options
How to get out of a solar contract: check your cancellation deadline, buyout and transfer options, and lien risk before you pay to exit.
Hamza Arham Rizvi
How Many Solar Panels Do You Need? Ask in Kilowatts First
Panel count is the last thing to work out and the first thing people ask. The five inputs that determine system size, in the order they actually resolve.
Hamza Arham Rizvi
Solar Offset: A Target Somebody Chose, Not a Law of Physics
Offset is an annual accounting figure, not a description of how your house runs. Why full offset is the default, when it is wrong, and what decides your number.
Hamza Arham Rizvi
Find Your Annual kWh: The One Number Sizing Starts From
Three ways to get twelve months of real usage, why a single bill is the wrong number, and the four things on a bill that are not kilowatt-hours.
Hamza Arham Rizvi
Why the Installer's System Size Is Bigger Than Yours
Six assumptions in a proposal push the number up, and each one is checkable. Which are legitimate, which are choices, and how to ask for the same size two ways.
Hamza Arham Rizvi