Thinking About Solar Panels? See How Much Sun Your Roof Gets With This Map.
To use solar panels, you need a solar roof, but your roof may be sunnier than you think. Google Project Sunroof gives detailed construction information and now contains data for (parts of) all 50 states .
Find your home and see: sunspots in yellow, shadows in purple. Google also provides estimates of how many hours of sunlight your roof sees, how much floor space is available for solar panels, and how much installing solar panels can save you over the years. It also has details on funding and more. This is a great place to think about if installing solar panels makes sense .
My house is not suitable for solar panels; I live in the cloudy part of the country and my area is full of tall trees. But looking at the map, I see many places – even a few blocks away – where solar panels would make sense and could save money over time. Google tools include calculators for individual buildings, as well as statistics for entire cities or areas. City planners may be interested to know how many rooftops can use solar power, for example (57 percent in my area), and how much power they can generate. Check your home or city at the link below.