Google has launched its Project Sunroof tool in the UK, which it hopes will help Brits decide whether they could save money by installing solar panels on their roofs.
The website uses data from Google Earth and Google Maps to advise homeowners on whether they’d benefit from a switch to renewable energy.
By inputting their address, users can see the average hours of sunlight the roof gets year, as well as how much space is available for panels. The calculator also takes into consideration the angle of the roof and day-to-day analysis of weather patterns.
Project Sunroof, which launched in the US in 2015, will also recommend whether you can save money by depending on your current electricity bill. The company has said its tool is accurate enough to calculate the impact of shade caused by a tree on the potential efficiency of solar panels.
In the UK, homeowners in Birmingham, Brighton, Liverpool, Newcastle, Reading, as well as certain areas London, can make use of the tool.
Google, who is partnering with UK energy giant Eon on the project, says Project Sunroof can reduce the steps required to adoption by automatically providing roof data based upon satellite imagery and weather data.
“By analysing the roof shape, they will take out one of the steps that you would have to go through to get solar panels installed,” Jonathan Marshall of the Energy and Climate Intelligence Unit told the BBC.
Nicole Lombardo, head of partnerships at Google, said: “We are excited to help people in the UK make more informed choices about installing solar panels on their rooftops and transition to renewable energy sources.”
Would you trust Google Maps and Earth data to help you make a major decision like switching to solar power? Let us know @TrustedReviews on Twitter.
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Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
