How Sunme Analyzes Your Property

At Sunme, we believe that buying a home should never be a leap of faith when it comes to sunlight. That's why we built a rigorous, data-driven analysis process that transforms a simple property address into a comprehensive sun exposure report. Here's how it works — step by step.

Step 1: You Share Your Property Address

The process starts with you. After placing your order, you provide us with the property address — whether it's a home you're considering buying, a lot you're planning to build on, or a property you already own. A listing URL or exact street address is all we need to begin.

No site visits required. No sensors to install. Everything we do starts with remote data — which means we can analyze any residential property in the continental United States, no matter where you are.

Step 2: Satellite Imagery and Terrain Mapping

Once we have your address, our team pulls high-resolution satellite imagery and elevation data for the property and its surrounding area. This gives us a precise picture of the physical environment: the roofline, the lot boundaries, neighboring structures, mature trees, and topographic features like hills or slopes.

We look at a radius large enough to capture anything that could cast a shadow on your property throughout the day. For urban homes, this might mean accounting for a three-story building to the south. For suburban lots, it could be a row of tall pines along the western edge.

Step 3: Solar Path Modeling

This is where the analysis gets precise. Using the property's exact latitude, longitude, and orientation, we model the sun's path across the sky for every month of the year. The sun's angle changes dramatically between summer and winter — in many U.S. locations, the difference in solar altitude between June and December is over 45 degrees.

Our models calculate exactly when direct sunlight reaches each face of the property, how long it stays, and where shadows fall at different times of day. We don't estimate. We compute — using established astronomical and atmospheric models trusted by solar engineers and architects worldwide.

Step 4: Seasonal Shadow Simulation

Sun path data alone isn't enough. We layer in shadow simulations that account for every obstruction we identified: buildings, trees, terrain, and other structures. These simulations show, hour by hour and season by season, exactly how shade moves across the property.

The result is a clear picture of your property's light exposure throughout the year. You'll see, for example, that your backyard gets full sun from March through October but is significantly shaded after 3 PM in December — insights that are invisible during a single property visit.

Step 5: Scoring and Recommendations

With all the data compiled, we generate your property's Sun Score — a clear 1–100 rating that reflects overall solar exposure quality. This score accounts for total daily sun hours, seasonal consistency, and the balance between beneficial light and excessive heat exposure.

Beyond the score, your report includes actionable recommendations tailored to the property. These might cover:

• Which rooms receive the most (and least) natural light
• Optimal placement for solar panels based on roof exposure
• Energy efficiency insights related to passive solar gain
• Landscaping suggestions to manage shade or increase light
• Seasonal patterns that affect comfort and livability

Step 6: Your Report, Delivered

We compile everything into a clean, visual PDF report designed to be easy to understand — whether you're a first-time homebuyer or a seasoned architect. Our Sunlight Living Score reports are delivered within 24 hours. More comprehensive Full Sun Blueprint reports, which include hourly simulations and a consultation call, arrive within 5 business days.

Every report is reviewed by our team before delivery. We don't auto-generate cookie-cutter outputs — each analysis is tailored to the specific property, its surroundings, and the client's needs.

Why This Process Matters

Anyone can point a compass at a house and guess which way it faces. What makes a professional sun exposure analysis valuable is the combination of precision data, seasonal depth, and contextual analysis. We don't just tell you where the sun is — we tell you what it means for your property, your energy costs, and your daily life in that home.

That's the insight that turns a good purchase into a great one.