Independent · British Columbia and Alberta
Is solar worth it for your home?
Find out before you talk to a salesperson. A personalized report on your roof, your bills and your real payback — including a clear “no” when solar doesn’t add up.
- Your actual roof, measured from aerial imagery
- Your electricity use and your utility’s real rates
- Costs, rebates, payback and 25-year savings
- No sales calls, no appointments, no sales pitch
Free roof check first. You only pay if we have data for your home.
From your bill to a clear answer
Check your roof — free
Enter your address for a free First Look: room for panels, sun on your roof and a rough value range.
Add your usage
Upload a bill (PDF or photo) or type in your kWh. We read the bill only after you pay, then delete it.
Pay $4.99
One payment, no subscription. PayPal or any debit or credit card.
Get your answer
Your report is ready in about a minute, on screen and as a PDF you can keep.
What’s in the report
More than a solar calculator
- Your roof sections, angles, sun and shading
- A suggested panel layout drawn on your roof, with other sizes to compare
- Yearly and month-by-month production
- Your bills with and without solar, using your utility’s real rate structure and export rules
- Installed cost range and the rebates you may qualify for
- Payback, 25-year savings and the lifetime cost of solar power, in three scenarios
- Risks, questions to ask installers and a plain verdict
Sample verdict
Solar is borderline for this home
In the expected case solar saves a modest $6,794 over 25 years, but in our pessimistic scenario it does not pay for itself. Whether it is worth it depends on getting a good installed price and the incentives.
From our sample report for a fictional home.
Independent by design
No sales agenda
We don’t sell or install panels, and we never sell your contact details. Advertising never affects a report.
Honest numbers
Every figure is calculated, not guessed, and every assumption is listed with its source. AI only reads your bill; it never invents numbers.
Private
Your bill is deleted as soon as it’s read. Your report is behind a private link only you have.
Fair pricing
$4.99, once: less than the cost of an hour spent with a solar salesperson, and you’ll know beforehand whether that hour is worth spending. If we can’t produce your report, you’re not charged or you’re refunded automatically.
Free solar tools
Solar rebates
Every BC and Alberta solar incentive we could verify, with official sources and the date we last checked.
Cost calculator
Put in a system size and price and see savings and payback with your utility’s real rates.
Quote checker
Got a quote? Check its price per watt, production and savings claims, and what to ask.
Learning centre
Plain answers on costs, payback, shading, net metering and evaluating quotes.
Questions
Is solar worth it in BC or Alberta?
It depends on your roof, how much electricity you use, your utility’s rates and export rules, and what you pay to install. Some homes pay for solar well within the panels’ life; others never do. Our report works it out for your home, and says so plainly when solar is not worth it.
Do I have to talk to a salesperson?
No. There are no sales calls or appointments. You get the report on screen and as a PDF, and we never share your details without your permission.
What do I need?
Your address, and either an electricity bill (PDF or photo) or your yearly use in kWh. A bill showing 12 months of usage gives the best estimate.
What if my home isn’t covered?
We check roof data for free before you pay. If Google doesn’t have detailed data for your roof, we tell you and you’re not charged.
How accurate is it?
It’s a planning estimate, not an engineering design. Roof data comes from Google’s Solar API, rates from your utility’s published tariffs or your bill, and costs from published Canadian averages. The report shows a pessimistic and an optimistic case so you can see the range.
Who are you?
Solar First Look is an independent service built by an expert in the solar industry. We don’t sell or install solar, so our only interest is giving you an honest answer.