We go to Google for all of our questions, and it appears to have all of the answers. With Google’s new Project Sunroof, the search engine giant now can answer the question: What’s my roof’s potential for solar power?
Project Sunroof calculates how much sunlight hits your roof using the same high-resolution aerial mapping as Google Earth.
Many factors are taken into account when determining the level of sunlight, including: shade from nearby buildings or trees, weather patterns, and sun positions during the year. It combines this information with the typical electricity bill for a household and determines how much money you could save by using solar panels.
Carl Elkin, the lead engineer for Project Sunroof, says homeowners will see how easily they can save thousands of dollars each year. A volunteer with Solarize Massachusetts and a solar homeowner, he is surprised at how many people view solar panels as too expensive or believe their roof doesn’t receive enough sunlight to make it viable. He feels many are missing out on the opportunity to save money and make a greener lifestyle choice.
New research from Origin Energy and realestate.com.au found that 85% of Australians believe solar rooftop panels increase a property’s value. We can definitely see how energy efficient homes appeal to home buyers who are able to save money in the long run and why sellers might invest in energy efficient upgrades, such as solar panels.
Project Sunroof is a beta project and in the early stages of development. It’s currently only available in U.S. Cities, including: Fresno, California, the San Francisco Bay Area (also in California), and Boston, Massachusetts.
Aerial mapping is already used by homeowners who research solar energy, however, this technology goes one step further. It also helps them work out what panels to put on their roof. Despite this technology, homeowners will still have to assess if the savings truly are beneficial and install the panels.
Google’s new project may one day be a competitor for Australian-created Live Solar Potential Tool. Like Project Sunroof, this technology also estimates electricity generated from solar panels on rooftops. This tool factors in the solar panels position and tilt to calculate the monthly average sunlight and average annual solar radiation.
It’s hard to determine when a wider spread roll out of Project Sunroof will happen, but one can almost be certain that if Google thinks this project is worthwhile, solar energy may very well be the way of the future.