Google makes going solar easy
Project Sunroof helps you calculate the best solar panels for your roof
Project Sunroof helps you calculate the best solar panels for your roof“As the price of installing solar has gotten less expensive, more homeowners are turning to it as a possible option for decreasing their energy bill,” say Google. “We want to make installing solar panels easy and understandable for anyone.” Project Sunroof was founded after Google noticed a large number of search queries about how to use solar energy. Google has already launched the project in the US cities of Boston, San Francisco and Fresno, is Google's effort to make solar power simple and understandable. The project puts Google's expansive data in mapping and computing resources to use, helping calculate the best solar plan for you. When you enter your address, Project Sunroof looks up your home in Google Maps and combines that information with other databases to create your personalised roof analysis. Project Sunroof computes how much sunlight hits your roof in a year, taking into account Google's database of aerial imagery and maps 3D modeling of your roof, shadows cast by nearby structures and trees, all possible sun positions over the course of a year, and historical cloud and temperature patterns that might affect solar energy production.Project Sunroof then recommends an installation size to generate close to 100% of your electricity use, based on roof size, the amount of sun hitting the roof, and your electricity bill. Still hungry for more? Sign up for our weekly supplement featuring the latest news, profiles, features and innovation
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