Google expands project sunroof into Germany - Smart Energy Decisions

Commercial, Distributed Energy Resources, Commercial, Distributed Generation, Solar  -  May 8, 2017

Google expands 'Project Sunroof' into Germany

Google has partnered with one of the world's largest utility holding companies to expand its "Project Sunroof" product into Germany. 

The tech giant announced the expansion in a May 3 blog post that it partnered with Essen, Germany-based E.On and software producer Tetraeder on the expansion of the program it first launched in the U.S. in 2015. Project Sunroof aims to help consumers assess the solar power potential of their homes and buildings. 

The announcement marks the first time Project Sunroof data will be made available outside of the U.S., and Google said approximately seven million German buildings are currently covered by the product, including urban areas like Munich, Berlin, Rhine-Main and the Ruhr area. The company said in its announcement: 

To estimate the solar potential for individual buildings, we combined Google Earth, Google Maps, 3D models and machine learning to estimate solar generation potential accurately and at large scale. Project Sunroof estimates how much sunlight falls on the roof, accounting for historical weather patterns, the location of the sun throughout the year, the geometry of the roof, and shading from nearby objects such as trees and buildings. We then combine all of these factors to estimate solar energy generation potential for a particular address.

Google said late in 2016 that it expects to reach its goal of using 100% renewable energy across our its global operations, and that it envisioned going further to help others do the same.

"With Project Sunroof, we want to help people become even more aware of the solar potential that’s just above the rafters," Joel Conkling, product manager for Project Sunroof said in the blog post. 


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