Earlier this month Google launched its brand new creation: “Project Sunroof”. Using high-resolution aerial imagery (as it does with Google Earth), the Internet giant provides homeowners with data about their own rooftops in order to assess whether they are suitable for solar panels or not. Project Sunroof puts Google's expansive data in mapping and computing resources to use, creating an online “Treasure Map” for potential solar customers.

Today it currently operates in Boston, San Francisco Bay Area and Fresno. But this tool has an enormous potential, given the capillarity that Google already has around the world. Google’s Carl Elkin, the engineer who came up with this idea, declared: “As a volunteer with the Boston-based solar program Solarize Massachusetts and a solar homeowner myself, I’ve always been surprised at how many people I encounter who think that “my roof isn’t sunny enough for solar,” or “solar is just too expensive.” Certainly many of them are missing out on a chance to save money and be green.” However, Google is not the innovator. Several start-ups are already working with more or less success in creating tools to help consumers to understand the solar energy market. Among them, PVCompare has been the first free website for photovoltaic solutions comparison.

Thanks to its well-known brand, Google put the issue of renewable energy access under the spotlight. Moreover, the simplicity of the product makes photovoltaic energy easily accessible and understandable to a wide non-expert (not only non-technical but also not aware of environmental and monetary consequences) public. Google has the merit to help people to familiarise with solar energy, and consequently make conscious choices.

Will you be ready for solar energy? 

Eliana Canavesio