Redfin and Shadowmap rolled out Sunscore, a 0–100 property-level rating that reveals a home's sunlight exposure and solar potential.
Source: Original report
Redfin this week introduced Sunscore, a property-level metric that quantifies how much natural light reaches a home. Launched May 11, 2026 in partnership with Shadowmap, the feature places a 0–100 score on listings so shoppers can assess sunlight at a glance.
What is Sunscore?
Sunscore is a single-number summary of a home’s sunlight availability. Higher values indicate more direct sun throughout the day and year; lower values flag properties that are frequently shaded by surrounding terrain, vegetation or nearby buildings.
How the score is calculated
The rating is derived from three-dimensional modeling of the property and its environment. The system analyzes the shape of a home’s surfaces and maps how sunlight reaches them at multiple times of day and across different days of the year, accounting for shadows cast by trees, slopes and adjacent structures. That analysis is combined into the 0–100 Sunscore shown on Redfin listings.
Why sunlight information matters
Natural light influences how people experience a home and can affect energy use and solar potential. Redfin’s research found many buyers consider sunlight when choosing a home, and agents say exposure can factor into buyer preferences and local pricing—especially in sun-rich markets where access to daylight can feel like a premium amenity.
Practical uses for buyers and owners
- Compare sunlight between nearby homes before scheduling tours.
- Gauge a property’s suitability for solar panels and estimate potential energy gains.
- Anticipate interior lighting and seasonal shading patterns without an in-person visit.
Availability and context
Sunscore is available now on all for-sale listings on Redfin.com and will appear in Redfin’s iPhone and Android apps later this year. The tool was developed with Shadowmap, a firm that specializes in 3D sun-path and shadow analysis and is used across real estate, planning and solar industries.
The rollout adds to Redfin’s property-level information suite, which already includes climate-risk data from First Street and neighborhood walkability metrics such as Walk Score, alongside recent features that let users have conversational, AI-assisted searches.
How to make the most of Sunscore
- Use the score as a quick filter while browsing listings, then verify interior light by scheduling visits at different times of day.
- If you’re considering solar, treat Sunscore as an initial indicator and follow up with a site-specific solar assessment.
- Remember that landscaping and future development can change a property’s light profile over time.
Sunscore aims to give buyers clearer, data-driven insight into an element of homes that has historically been hard to quantify online: how bright a property will feel in real life.
