Google Project Sunroof tells you where to locate solar panels

If you are thinking about adding a solar panel to your roof but don't know where to put it? Google has just the thing for you as they have announced Project Sunroof, which aims to help you best locate solar panels on your roof for maximum efficiency. Project Sunroof is lead by Google Engineering lead Cark Elkin and shows you via Google Maps how much solar power your house would generate. How it works is by using Google maps to calculate your roof's orientation, how much shade is on the roof by nearby trees and buildings, and it even takes your local weather into account. The only downside to this project is the fact that it only works in the San Francisco Bay Area, Fresno and Boston. If you live in those areas all you need to enter in is your address and a little bit of information about your monthly electricity bill. The software will tell you what the reccommended solar installation size should be and how much it will cost to buy or lease the hardware. If you would like to continue the program, Google will also contact local solar providers, which are sponsored. Hopefully, like Google Fiber, the program will expand to other areas in time.

Via: Tech Crunch

Source: Google