Is your roof an ideal host for solar panels? Google tool can enlighten you

By Daniel Rothberg

Tuesday, Dec. 15, 2015 | 2 a.m.

Despite an uncertain regulatory climate for prospective solar customers in Nevada, Google rolled out a mapping tool last week that allows Las Vegas area homeowners to determine how suitable their rooftops are for residential solar systems.

Project Sunroof, launched in August in California and Massachusetts, uses Google Earth data to determine how much sunlight is likely to strike a rooftop.

The tool considers shade patterns, the roof’s orientation, local weather and nearby obstacles such as trees and buildings. It then generates an analysis of the total hours of annual sunlight hitting a roof and the available square footage for rooftop solar. The tool also provides a cost-benefit analysis for prospective customers.

The assessment, which factors in billing information and local incentives, shows potential customers how much they should expect in savings if installing rooftop solar and how much they should expect to spend after purchasing or leasing a rooftop solar system. There is no fee to use it.

“Nevada is known for its sunshine and has a great history in solar,” Nicole Lombardo, a partner development manager for Project Sunroof, wrote in an email. “While policies and incentives have the potential to change over time, what is pretty consistent over time is whether your home is well-suited to install solar.”

In the few months since Project Sunroof launched in California and Massachusetts, it attracted thousands of daily users, Lombardo said.

The tool could also be beneficial for solar businesses in the state. After generating a cost estimate for potential customers, Project Sunroof refers them to local solar providers that can help arrange purchases or leases.

“Google’s decision to expand Project Sunroof into the Silver State is just another sign of Nevada’s tremendous solar potential,” Chandler Sherman, SolarCity’s public affairs manager, said in a statement. “Nevada has an infinite solar resource, strong consumer demand for solar, and the most solar jobs per capita in the country. We hope that Nevada will continue its strong solar policies so our homegrown solar industry can continue to grow.”

With solar incentives up for consideration at the state and federal levels, pro-solar advocates see the industry in a precarious place. Congress is exploring whether to extend an investment tax credit, which expires this year and offers owners of solar systems a 30 percent tax credit on the amount they invest in solar infrastructure.

In Nevada, advocates say a change in regulations could also hamper the industry.

Many current residential solar customers here benefit from net metering, a program that requires NV Energy to pay rooftop solar customers for the energy they provide back to the grid. But with state regulators expected to vote on a long-term price structure for rooftop customers next week, solar companies are concerned any move to pare down current credit rates or impose new fees could stall the adoption of their technology.

Google does not play a direct role in lobbying for solar policies. With tools like Project Sunroof, however, Lombardo said the Silicon Valley giant is actively working to support the growth of the clean energy sector.

“We can apply what we’re best at to help millions of others become more sustainable,” Lombardo said of Google’s efforts in the area. “We envision a future where we can help provide access to affordable, cleaner power sources, and (empower) our users to take action on sustainability in their own lives and in their communities.”