Shedding light on homeowners' solar options
Despite its benefits, switching to solar power can be a daunting prospect for the average homeowner. From the cost of purchasing or leasing your own solar panel system to uncertainties about how much power it will actually generate, taking the leap can seem like a risk.
A new Google project is seeking to allay some of these concerns with a tool that estimates the amount of energy and savings solar power could generate for any given home. Project Sunroof, which launched in pilot form Monday, allows users to search their address and find out the number of square feet available on their roof for solar panels, the number of hours of usable sunlight that could be generated, and the amount of money it could save. It's currently available for residents of the San Francisco Bay Area; Fresno, California; and Boston.
The tool uses aerial imagery data, the same used for Google Earth, to evaluate a rooftop's solar potential, taking into account factors such as shade from nearby trees or buildings. The tool also factors in local weather patterns to make a more informed evaluation about how much sun will be hitting the roof. Once they receive their results, users can input data on their typical energy bills to get better estimates on the amount of money they could save each year by installing solar panels. It also links users to solar providers in their area.
Because cost is likely to be a major question for people considering the switch, the tool includes detailed information on the price of installation. It draws on information from banks and other financial institutions to provide estimates on how much it will run a resident to lease, buy or even take out a loan for the panels, according to Barry Fischer, a global communications and public affairs officer at Google. Annual and long-term savings are likely to differ depending on which route a homeowner decides to take.
The project is led by Google engineer Carl Elkin, who started work on the tool through Google's "20 percent time" program, which in the past has allowed employees to spend a fifth of their time working on their own projects and ideas. While Project Sunroof is still just a test for now, it may expand to other parts of the country in the coming months.
It's also one of a string of renewable-energy-oriented projects Google has been involved with in recent years. In 2013, the company announced its investment in Africa's largest solar energy plant, the Jasper plant in South Africa. And its Mountain View, California, campus is also home to one of the country's largest corporate solar-panel installations.
Whether Project Sunroof makes a difference in the number of people switching to solar energy is another question. But the solar providers Google is partnering with seem optimistic that it will help people make better-informed decisions. "For the first time, residential solar systems are able to give people a real choice when it comes to where they get their electricity ... And it's saving them a lot of money," Greg Butterfield, chief executive of Vivint Solar, said in a statement.