Ask your installer for a shading analysis, and make sure it covers the winter solstice and different times of day, not just conditions as they are right now.

Most professional installers use design software such as Pylon to model how shade will affect your system across the year. SunSPOT offers a free online tool for an initial assessment, using satellite and, in some areas, LiDAR data.

Think about trees and neighbouring structures as they’ll be, not as they are. A tree that clears your roof today may not over the 25-year life of the system.