Solar Consultation: What to Bring

A useful solar consultation starts with the details that shape your home’s energy use and roof—not with a one-size-fits-all system. If you are preparing for a meeting in Las Vegas, Henderson, Summerlin, or North Las Vegas, bring recent electric bills, a few notes about your home, and clear questions about your goals. That gives the installer a better starting point for discussing a home-specific design.

Call (702) 508-6441 to request a consultation

Which electric bills should you bring?

Bring your most recent electric bills, ideally covering a full year if you have them. Seasonal use can vary, so several months of information are more useful than a single bill. If you can access your utility account, bring a printed or digital record showing the billing period, electricity use, and charges.

Keep the utility name visible. The bill helps establish which provider serves the property and gives the consultant a starting point for understanding usage patterns. Do not assume that one unusually high or low month represents normal household use. If you recently moved, added a major appliance, or changed how the home is occupied, mention that context.

• Recent bills or an annual usage summary, if available
• The utility provider and service address
• Notes about recent changes in household occupancy or electricity use
• Any questions about how the proposal uses your consumption history

What home and roof details help?

Share the home’s address and basic type, such as a detached house or another residential property. Mention whether you own the home and whether you know of any roof work, additions, or electrical upgrades. You do not need to diagnose the roof yourself. The point is to help the consultant identify what should be checked during a site review.

If you know the roof’s approximate age, material, or recent repair history, write it down. Bring any records you already have, such as a reroof invoice or a home plan, but do not delay a consultation because you lack them. A site-specific assessment is needed to evaluate roof condition, layout, and other project details.

For background on the inspection topics, see the solar design and installation process. LivSmart’s solar service page is also a useful place to learn about its consultation path.

How should you describe shade and sunlight?

Think about what casts shade on the roof and when. Nearby trees, chimneys, neighboring buildings, and roof features can matter. You can make a simple note of which roof areas appear shaded in the morning, midday, or late afternoon. Photos taken from the ground may help explain what you have noticed, but they do not replace a professional assessment.

Do not climb onto the roof or attempt to measure it. A consultant or qualified site team should assess roof orientation, usable area, shade, and structural questions through an appropriate review. The more clearly you describe visible conditions, the easier it is to identify items that need confirmation rather than relying on assumptions.

What should you say about outages and backup?

Be specific about what you want during a power outage. Are you mainly concerned about keeping a refrigerator and selected lights operating, or are there other essential loads you want to discuss? Note any medical or work-related equipment that affects your priorities, without assuming a particular system can support it.

Solar panels by themselves should not be treated as outage backup. A battery is a separate configuration, and the equipment, supported loads, and expected operation need to be explained for the proposed design. Avoid relying on a general promise of “backup” without asking exactly what is included.

• List the circuits or appliances that matter most to you.
• Say whether you want to discuss a battery or solar-only options.
• Ask how the proposal identifies supported loads and operating limits.
• Ask what additional assessment is needed before backup capability can be specified.

Which questions make a proposal easier to evaluate?

Use the consultation to learn how the recommendation connects to your actual bills, roof, and priorities. Ask for the assumptions behind the design and what still needs verification. A clear proposal should distinguish known information from estimates and explain the system configuration in understandable terms.

• Which bills and usage periods did you use to shape the design?
• What roof, shade, or electrical details still need a site review?
• What equipment is included, and what is optional?
• If a battery is proposed, which loads is it designed to support?
• What utility coordination, permits, inspections, and activation steps apply?
• What schedule, warranty, cancellation, and project terms will be stated in the signed agreement?
• Which assumptions could change the final scope?

Terms such as price, project scope, schedule, warranty, and cancellation should be reviewed in the written agreement. Do not treat a general estimate or an informal conversation as a binding project commitment. Financing or incentive eligibility can depend on individual circumstances, so ask for applicable terms in writing rather than assuming approval or savings.

What can you do before the meeting?

Gather the documents you already have and put your questions in order. Start with the most important goal—understanding electricity use, exploring solar, considering a battery, or clarifying roof suitability. If another homeowner is involved in the decision, consider having them join so the same assumptions and next steps are clear to everyone.

You can also note whether there are access considerations for a property visit and whether you have questions about the consultation process. For general context about household electricity use, the U.S. Energy Information Administration’s explanation of electricity use describes common household uses. Your own bill and a site-specific assessment remain the relevant basis for an individual proposal.

What is the practical takeaway?

Bring enough information to explain how the home uses electricity, what the roof is like, where shade appears, and what you want during an outage. You do not need a complete technical file. Recent bills, basic property notes, and focused questions help make the discussion more useful and reveal which details still need professional verification.

Call (702) 508-6441 to discuss a measured consultation

A careful solar consultation should connect your usage history and property details to a proposal that clearly states its assumptions, options, and next steps.