Google Wants to Help You Install Solar Rooftop Panels

Rooftop solar panels can bring big savings to homeowners, but many potential converts don’t realize what benefits are within their reach. Maybe they support clean energy but think their roof is too shaded for solar panels. Or they enjoy a lot of sunlight but think the cost of installation is too high. Or they don’t know a solar contractor they trust to carry out the project.

A team of Google engineers just released a tool called Project Sunroof to handle those concerns and more. They adapted the high-resolution aerial maps from Google Earth to estimate the total sunlight a rooftop receives throughout the year. The tool then tells you how much you can expect to save with solar panels under different financing plans (you can plug in your current electric bill for a more refined calculation) and connects you with local companies that do installations.