How to Build a Solar Design | Roof Manager Guides
How-To Guide

How to Build a Solar Design

Lay real-world-scale solar panels onto any roof and generate a branded solar proposal in minutes.

5 min read Updated 2026-04-18
Quick Answer

To build a solar design in Roof Manager: open the Solar Design builder, enter the address, pick your panel model (size locks to real-world scale automatically), drag panels onto each roof face, tune tilt and azimuth, and the engine estimates annual production, offset, and payback. Click "Save Design" to generate a branded proposal with production estimates, financing, and a signable agreement.

Selling solar starts with a design the homeowner can actually see. Roof Manager's Solar Design builder lets you drop real-world-scale panels onto any roof in seconds, estimate annual production from Google Solar API data, and hand the homeowner a branded proposal before you leave the driveway.

Watch the full walkthrough — then follow the steps below.

1

Open the Solar Design builder

From your dashboard, click "Solar Design" (or open an existing measurement report and click "Design Solar"). Enter the address and the satellite view loads with roof faces already detected.

2

Pick your panel

Choose your panel model from the library — REC, Q Cells, Canadian Solar, Silfab, Tesla, and others are built in. Each panel has real wattage and dimensions baked in, so counts and production estimates stay truthful.

Pro tip: Standardise on 1–2 panels you actually stock. It speeds up design and keeps procurement clean.
3

Drag panels onto the roof

Panels are locked to real-world scale — drag them onto any roof face, rotate to match the face orientation, and snap them into rows. What you see on screen is exactly what will fit on the roof.

4

Tune tilt and azimuth per face

Each roof face auto-populates its tilt and azimuth from the measurement report. Override if you're using tilt racks on a flat roof, or ground mounts. Production recalculates live.

5

Review production and offset

The sidebar shows estimated annual kWh, percent offset of the homeowner's bill, and simple payback. Numbers use Google Solar API irradiance plus detected shading — not a national average.

6

Save the design

Click "Save Design" in the top bar. The design is attached to the job card and available to pull into a proposal with one click.

7

Send the proposal

Click "Create Proposal" from the saved design. Production, panel count, system size, financing tiers, and warranty language flow in automatically. Send for e-signature from your phone.

Frequently Asked Questions

Are the solar panels drawn to real-world scale?

Yes. Panels are locked to real-world dimensions (e.g. 1.7m × 1.0m for a 400W residential module) so the count you see on screen is the count that will physically fit on the roof.

Does the solar design tool estimate annual production?

Yes. Production is estimated per panel using pitch, azimuth, local irradiance from the Google Solar API, and any shading detected from the satellite imagery.

Can I send the solar design as a proposal?

Yes. Click "Save Design" then "Create Proposal" — the design, production estimate, and financing tiers flow into a branded, e-signable proposal.

Can I lay panels on multiple roof faces?

Yes. Each roof face is detected separately. Drag panels onto any face — the tool tracks per-face tilt and azimuth for accurate production math.

Does Roof Manager support different panel wattages and brands?

Yes. Pick from the built-in library (REC, Q Cells, Canadian Solar, Silfab, Tesla, etc.) or add a custom panel with your own wattage and dimensions.

Ready to get started?

Homeowners buy solar when they can see the panels on their own roof. Real-scale design + honest production numbers = more signatures, fewer tire-kickers.

Open Solar Design

More how-to guides

4 min read

How to Order a Measurement Report

6 min read

How to Run D2D Sales with Roof Manager

5 min read

How to Build a Winning Proposal