Google launches solar rooftop tool

GOOGLE HAS launched an online tool in the UK that informs households how well a rooftop solar array would perform and that how much could be saved on electricity bills. To calculate the solar potential of a roof, the tool, Project Sunroof, requires data like roof orientation, if it remains shaded by any nearby building and local weather, and automatically sources the data using Google Earth and 3D modelling. The online tool is not the first-of-its-kind; Ikea offers a similar service while Tesla has a Solar Roof Calculator. But unlike Project Sunroof, these companies need to source all the data for calculating solar potential of a roof from the homeowners. Google claims its models are detailed enough to assess even the impact of a tree on the solar potential of a house.