Google’s Project Sunroof has just been launched in Germany, that extends the company’s solar estimator to 7 million homes. Project Sunroof is an initiative by Google that uses a simple tool to determine if your house has enough sunlight to switch over to solar power. The idea is to raise the current 40 percent domestic solar usage in Germany and allow people to quickly estimate if they can also go green and save money on energy by using solar panels.
Project Sunroof is technologically backed by the Germany electricity provider E.on, in collaboration with Google. After users are done calculating the solar capacity, they are directed to E.on’s solar department to order the panels. This is different from Google’s US service, where a host of solar panel providers are presented.
The tool calculates solar savings using attributes like roof size and shape, shaded roof areas, local weather, solar costs, local electricity prices, and estimated incentives. The graphic below shows a detailed estimate provided by Project Sunroof on a certain address.
Here’s what Google says about how their solar roof works,
1. Search for your home We use Google Earth imagery to analyze your roof shape and local weather patterns to create a personalized solar plan.
2. Personalize your solar analysis Adjust your electric bill to fine-tune your savings estimate and the recommended number of solar panels for your home.
3. Compare finance options Compare loan, lease, and purchase options for your solar panels based on your results.
4. Contact solar providers See a list of local solar installers and ask for estimates from your top choices.
The project is completely free and currently covers all 50 states in the US.