Introducing the Switched On Solar Calculator: Explore Your Roof’s Solar Potential in 3D

What could solar look like on your property? Our newly launched solar calculator helps turn that question into something you can explore—starting with your building, its roof and a visual panel layout.

At Switched On, we want the first conversation about solar to be easier to understand. A roof plan can feel abstract, and a panel count alone doesn’t tell the whole story. Our solar calculator brings property selection, 3D visualisation and initial design information together, giving you a clearer starting point for discussing a solar PV system with our team.

Start with your property

The process begins with your property and what you want to achieve. You can search for an address, inspect the location on a map and confirm the building you want to explore.

The property-selection screen offers a boundary to check, with an option to draw an outline if it doesn’t match the site. That confirmation matters: a useful starting design needs to relate to the right building, rather than an approximate location.

See the building in three dimensions

Once the property is selected, the tool prepares a 3D view so you can examine the building and its roof faces in context.

For our demonstration, we chose a familiar landmark: Wembley Stadium. Its size and distinctive roof make it an interesting example of how the interface presents a complex building, lets you select roof areas and displays an initial panel arrangement.

A demonstration, not a project announcement. The Wembley screenshots illustrate the calculator’s workflow. They do not represent an installation, an approved engineering design, a commission from Wembley or an endorsement by the stadium.

Choose the roof areas you want to explore

Rather than treating a building as one flat rectangle, the calculator lets you select individual roof faces. Selected areas are highlighted, making it easier to see which parts of the building are included.

The panel-layout view then places modules on the chosen areas according to the tool’s placement rules, while the rest of the building remains visible. This gives you a visual way to discuss an initial layout and identify questions for a proper site assessment.

Look beyond the panel count

The demonstrated workflow also includes roof-by-roof panel information, a colour-coded string-layout view and an equipment summary.

Strings are groups of panels connected together electrically. Showing those groupings alongside the panel layout provides another way to understand how an initial system design is organised.

The equipment summary brings together proposed components and installation-related items. It is a starting point for review—not a final quotation, a complete procurement list or confirmation that every component is suitable for the site.

A clearer starting point—not a substitute for a survey

Digital modelling can help make a solar discussion more specific, but it cannot establish every condition on a real roof. Imagery, building geometry and the information entered into the tool all affect the result.

Before installation, a suitably qualified team still needs to assess roof condition and structure, shading, access, electrical arrangements, equipment compatibility and any planning or grid-connection requirements. Battery suitability should also be considered against how and when the property uses electricity.

The most useful question is not simply “How many panels fit?” It is “What system makes sense for this property and its energy use?” The calculator gives us a more visual way to begin answering that together.

Explore your own roof

Our solar calculator is now available through the Switched On website. Try it with your property, explore the roof areas and bring your questions to our team.

Whether you are starting to investigate solar PV or want a clearer basis for a conversation about solar and battery storage, we can help you move from an initial idea towards a properly assessed proposal.

Try the Switched On Solar Calculator, then speak to us about the next steps for your property.