Check If Your Roof Is Solar-Ready, Using Project Sunroof

The engineers, at Google, have developed a specialized tool that allows homeowners to check if solar panels can be installed on their roofs. Known as Project Sunroof, the information tool has been developed in response to the rapidly-increasing search queries, regarding solar power and “converting to solar energy”. With the help of this program, users can now determine the amount of sunlight their homes receive as well as the money they could potentially save by harnessing this renewable form of energy.

Recently launched in Boston, Fresno and the San Francisco Bay Area, Project Sunroof provides a detailed mapping of the roofs in the region, in terms of the availability of solar power. Using high-definition satelittle imagery and advanced machine-vision (MV), the tool first measures the roof’s total area, following which, it generates in-depth information about the home’s position, surrounding obstructions and prevailing weather patterns. Speaking about the project, Greg Butterfield, the head of Utah-based Vivint Solar, said:

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

Furthermore, the program enables us to estimate the hours and amount of incident sunlight, on any given day, and the overall area available for installing solar panels. By providing an average of their monthly electric bills, users can learn about the kind of monetary savings they could expect over the next 20 years. Finally, to help them get off on the right foot, the program assists users in finding the best solar providers in their particular area.

Project Sunroof has been developed by one of Google’s employees, named Carl Elkin.

To know more about the program, click here.