OK, time for the big reveal.  The solar aperture presented in the Solar Pathfinder and Sun Seeker app images show that nine months out of the year just past 2:00 pm solar time the existing tree cover will block the sun’s rays from hitting this home. Which means that in the afternoon when the heat of the day builds up, both the home’s south and west faces and the rooftop solar panels are shaded.  While overall production goes down with less sunlight captured, many people don’t know that solar panels prefer to be cool and the hotter they get the less efficient they are: every degree Celsius rise in temperature reduces the efficiency of the solar panel by 0.5%.  What that means is in the winter when the sun hits the modules energy production is higher given the same amount of sun hitting those modules in the summer.  Having late afternoon shading also helps reduce overheating of the home due to passive gain.  So, while this site has shade, our procedures make sure our clients know the solar resource and help inform their decisions regarding solar.  It also informs our design, as the sun’s radiation also affects overall energy needs of a comfortable, efficient, well-lit space.  Props to our colleague, John Wakeman of SUR Energy, for his input on this post and the decades of collaboration with us serving our clients. ⠀

Bonus question answer:  Micro inverters or inverters with power optimizers, when compared to string inverters, would be the highest performers because every panel would be autonomously producing power even if the adjacent panels were shaded.  Now you know!