Latitude (°): This is the single most important setting. Your geographical latitude determines the sun's path in the sky above your home. Accuracy here is key to getting a precise recommendation.
Roof Pitch (°): Enter the angle of your roof. This is crucial for the "Tilt Snapping" feature in Pro Mode, which we'll cover later. It helps the tool make practical recommendations that are easier to install.
Optimization Goal: This is where you define success.
- Year-round: The default and most common choice. It finds the best-compromise angle for solid performance all year.
- Winter: Tells the tool to prioritize the low winter sun. This is perfect if you use more energy in the winter or if your utility's winter rates are high.
- Summer: Prioritizes the high summer sun, ideal for maximizing power to run your air conditioning.
- Custom months: A powerful feature! You can select specific months (e.g., just your peak billing months) to optimize for.
Azimuth Constraints (Min/Max °): In a perfect world, all panels in the US face True South (180°). But your roof might have a different orientation or obstructions. These fields let you set the realistic boundaries the tool has to work within.
Current Panel Tilt & Azimuth (°): This is your "before" picture. By entering your system's current settings, the tool can calculate exactly how much more energy you'll gain by switching to the recommended setup. This is what calculates the all-important Estimated Annual Gain.
