How in the Tech

Using Google Maps to Calculate your Roof’s Solar Potential

By Adam Myers ⋅ April 21, 2009 ⋅ Tags: Google

Have you ever heard of a Google Maps mashup? A mashup, at least in this context, is a melding of two technologies to form a third technology, usually in a creative manner. A Google Maps mashup, as one would surmise, is constructed by leveraging the massive amounts of data available from the Google Maps project.  Solar Roof is one such mashup that utilizes Google Maps to calculate the solar energy potential of your roof, should you choose to layer it with solar panels. This free service is not exact but it is a rather efficient first wave of analysis before you venture down the costly path of bringing in a professional assessor.

Solar Roof is straightforward and easy to use. One the website, begin by keying in your address in question. Google Maps will load the location in the window. With an aerial overview of your domain you can then begin connecting the dots to trace the outline of your roof. The service will automatically begin to shade in the area once enough points are gathered. Continuing clicking to define more points until your roof is fully outlined. All the while the service calculates such things as: potential, power per square foot, area, and total peak power. If your roof is not fully flat you have the option to adjust the pitch or angle of the roof as well.

After providing your monthly electric bill or usage, Solar Roof can give you a rough estimate of your new electrical bill once the solar panels capacity is added. At this address you can see that in the summer months I would actually be putting electricity back into the grid – meaning the electric company would be paying me!

This directly correlates with the outputted kilowatt hours – which have been adjusted to your regions weather patterns and cloud cover automatically. This is a rather clever use of all this freely available information; all mashed together for your digestion.