Solar Energy Consulting

Is my home ready for solar? A straight answer in 75 minutes

Before you invite installers to the kitchen table, find out whether your roof, your bills, your utility's rules and your plans for the house point to go, wait or skip.

Book a free fit call See how it works

75-minute session; written summary within 3 business daysFlat fee, in writingNo commissions, ever

A cutaway house whose attic fills with sunlight like water in a glass — The idea
Readiness isn't about panels. It's about the roof's remaining life, the electrical service, your usage — and your timeline.

Is my home ready for solar? Five things decide it

Whether your home is ready for solar has less to do with sunshine than with timing. Five things decide it: the roof’s remaining life, the electrical service, the shape of your usage, your utility’s rules, and how long you plan to stay. In 75 minutes we walk through all five and give you a go, wait or skip, in writing, within three business days.

1. The roof’s remaining life

A solar lease, loan or payback period often runs 20 to 25 years. If your shingles have less life left than that, you’ll likely re-roof with panels on top, which means paying someone to remove and reinstall the array. Ask every installer for that removal-and-reinstall price in writing. Sometimes the cheapest solar decision is a new roof first.

2. The electrical service

Installers ask about your main panel because adding solar, a battery or an EV charger can run into its limits. We don’t inspect panels. We record what the label in your photo shows and list the questions a licensed electrician should answer before you commit.

3. The shape of your usage, not just the total

Many Kentucky homes with electric heat use the most power in winter, when panels make the least. Under the newer NMS-2 tariffs, a summer surplus is banked as a dollar credit at the export rate, $0.07534 per kWh at KU and $0.07089 at LG&E after the 2026 rate cases. The credit carries forward on your bill, but Kentucky law says no cash refund is paid if you close the account. That’s why sizing to your annual total can overshoot.

4. Your utility’s rules

LG&E, KU, Kentucky Power, Duke Energy Kentucky, the co-ops and the TVA-served distributors don’t all treat solar the same way. Kentucky’s net metering statute covers systems up to 45 kW. It also contains a clause most people never hear about. Once the net-metered capacity on a utility’s system reaches 1% of its single-hour peak load, the utility has no further obligation to offer net metering to new customers. We read your utility’s current tariff so you know which rules you’d actually be signing up for.

5. Your timeline

If you might sell within a few years, ownership type matters. An owned system usually transfers with the house. A leased one needs the buyer to take over the contract. Planning a heat pump or an EV changes the right size too. Our guide to the home electrification order of operations explains the sequencing.

What you leave with

You get a recommendation, the reasoning behind it and an assumptions page you can check. If the answer is go, the installer brief helps you collect comparable quotes, and our proposal red-flag checklist helps you read them. When a quote arrives, a Proposal Second Opinion is the natural next step.

If the answer is wait, you’ll know what you’re waiting for: a roof, a move, a change in your usage, or a better understanding of your tariff. If it’s skip, you’ve saved yourself a round of sales calls. You can also run your own rough numbers first with the solar payback estimator.

What you walk away with

Outcomes, not opinions

Go, wait or skip

A plain recommendation with the reasons behind it, so you know whether to collect quotes now or what has to happen first.

Timing that fits your roof

You see whether the roof is likely to need replacing during the system's life, and what that would add to the cost.

A tariff you understand

You learn how your utility credits exported power and what that means for the size of system worth considering.

Better, comparable quotes

A one-page installer brief lists your usage, constraints and questions, so the bids you receive can be compared line by line.

How it works

The process, start to finish

75-minute session; written summary within 3 business days. You'll know the scope and the fee before any work begins.

Fit call
A free 20-minute call to confirm a readiness session is the right step and to list what to gather.
Send bills and photos
Twelve months of electric bills, the roof's age or receipt, a photo of your electrical panel's label, and notes on your plans for the house.
The session
Seventy-five minutes with an advisor walking through your roof timing, usage, tariff, ownership options and timeline, with your questions answered as we go.
Written summary
Within 3 business days you receive the summary, the assumptions behind it and the installer brief.

Deliverables

What's in the report

75-minute session by video, phone or in person in Kentucky
Written readiness summary within 3 business days
Twelve-month usage profile built from your bills
Plain-English note on your utility's net metering tariff
Questions for a licensed roofer or electrician, where needed
One-page installer brief for requesting comparable quotes
One round of follow-up questions by email

Where our work stops

Boundaries we keep

We don't inspect roofs or electrical panels; we list what a licensed roofer or electrician should check.
We don't design systems or size equipment for installation.
We don't recommend specific installers or receive referral fees from anyone.

Our full scope of services

Part of our Solar Energy Consulting practice. Also in this practice: Land Lease Offer Review.

FAQ

Questions about Solar Readiness Consultation

What documents should I bring?

Twelve months of electric bills (24 is better), the year the roof was installed, a photo of the label inside your electrical panel door, and any plans such as an EV, a heat pump, an addition or a move. Bring whatever you have; we'll say which missing pieces matter.

Can you tell me whether my electrical panel needs an upgrade?

No. That's a question for a licensed electrician. We note what your photo shows, explain why installers ask about panel capacity, and give you the specific questions to put to an electrician or to each installer.

I'm buying a house that already has solar. Is this the right service?

Often, yes. We review whether the system is owned or leased, what a lease transfer requires, and which net metering terms apply. Under Kentucky law, legacy terms for a system in service before the utility's first PSC order setting a new export rate stay with the premises for 25 years, even when the house sells. Your attorney should review any transfer documents.

Does the session replace getting quotes?

No. It makes quotes better. Installers who receive the same brief tend to send bids you can compare, and you'll know which numbers in those bids to question.