Google Solar Roof

[kingofbanff]

I hadn't seen anything about this on these forms. Google solar roof returns a picture of your selected address. The brighter the yellow the better the surface for solar panels. Sadly the East West orientation of the Southern part of my house is not ideal.

[ButchDeal]

I hadn't seen anything about this on these forms. Google solar roof returns a picture of your selected address. The brighter the yellow the better the surface for solar panels. Sadly the East West orientation of the Southern part of my house is not ideal.

This is using out technology (we have the patent :http://www.prnewswire.com/news-relea...300116114.html)

There is nothing wrong with the east/west faces on your home.

[SunEagle]

This is using out technology (we have the patent :http://www.prnewswire.com/news-relea...300116114.html)

There is nothing wrong with the east/west faces on your home.

Nice.

That looks like some type of IR technology measuring reflected heat energy but probably a lot more complicated.

[ButchDeal]

Nice.

That looks like some type of IR technology measuring reflected heat energy but probably a lot more complicated.

We use LiDAR and DSM (digital surface maps) based on 3D imagery to create a 3D world and run the sun through a year simulation calculating the insulation taking into account shadows, azimuth etc.

[solarix]

Google's Solar Roofs only works in the larger markets. They just expanded it to work in many more states beyond just the first two they started with, but doesn't work in my area yet.

[ButchDeal]

Google's Solar Roofs only works in the larger markets. They just expanded it to work in many more states beyond just the first two they started with, but doesn't work in my area yet.

We have far more data calculated than they do, and a bit better of an algorithm

[foo1bar]

There is nothing wrong with the east/west faces on your home.

Well, I'd say the west-facing roof is not nearly as good for solar. It looks like it's ~290 degrees (A little north of due west)
I have the same problem - my west facing roof is actually a little north of west.
If it were a south-facing roof, I'd have ~25% more production.

It's still probably a financially viable roof to use - even if it isn't the ideal direction/slope.

[nomadh]

Is this the place?


Interesting. I notice my south facing roof isn't quite as white hot as my neighbors similar facing roofs. It tints from white to more yellow at the sides. But I'd have to say this could be pretty accurate. The south facing areas that have more yellow do catch a bit of roof shade towards the end of the day and possibly some from a tree certain times of the year.
Very cool. Check it out. Was there another site like this?

Admin Note, sorry no links to sunroof, it is a lead gen tool and as such are in direct completion to solar reviews, no links to solar lead gen sites please people

[ButchDeal]

Is this the place?


Interesting. I notice my south facing roof isn't quite as white hot as my neighbors similar facing roofs. It tints from white to more yellow at the sides. But I'd have to say this could be pretty accurate. The south facing areas that have more yellow do catch a bit of roof shade towards the end of the day and possibly some from a tree certain times of the year.
Very cool. Check it out. Was there another site like this?

I don't think that google earth uses the DSM as we do. In other words they don't get as accurate of a shadow from trees and other vegetation. They also have a much smaller LiDAR library and base most of it on 3D imagery. Most 3D imagery is taken in winter to see through trees so it has a hard time with using that for shadows.

https://geostellar.com/solar-stories/science!

[rsilvers]

Geosteller says I need a 7.56 kW to cover 100% of my electrical needs. Google Solar Roof says I need a 25 kW to cover 100%.

I think I need a 25 kW to cover 100%, as that is what I decided to put in.

[ButchDeal]

did we have a raster for your site? click on the globe in the upper left corner or after search to the lower left of the map there is a check box to show solar potential.
The calculation of the amount of solar required is dependent on the amount of electric usage, so you would have to adjust your utility usage up to your actual.

[rsilvers]

[ButchDeal]

We down the resolution but this is an older calculation region.
You can see what I mean on googles, they don't have shadows from the trees. It is only doing the shadow calculation on the roof against the roof itself. We have talked with them about how they are doing the calculations.

[rsilvers]

This is a school in a wide-open field that is about 1000 feet from my house. The roof looks like it gets more sun than mine. The left edge of the school south roof is near some trees, and it looks darker.

http://s33.postimg.org/63i4w9em7/Scr...9_43_59_PM.png

South roof of my pool house has a lot of trees right near it. Google is showing that area as darker than the south roof of the school. Could be roof angle? Or could be they are calculating shade from trees. I think they are detecting trees.

http://s33.postimg.org/3jwlwe3pb/Scr...9_47_46_PM.png

[ButchDeal]

It isn't trees. They don't have any in their calculations. The school that shadow area is the hill. your house has all the facets fairly consistent but the trees would cause a gradient from darker by the tree to lighter away form them.
Google uses just one map of last return. we use first return for shadows, last return for surface.
See LiDAR does not consist of one measurement for each location, you get many. return from a bird, dust, leaves in a tree, branches, ground, hanging wires, and lots of error returns.
our use of the first return makes our maps a little more noisy instead of clean smooth but gives much better shadow results.

[kingofbanff]

Well, I'd say the west-facing roof is not nearly as good for solar. It looks like it's ~290 degrees (A little north of due west)
I have the same problem - my west facing roof is actually a little north of west.
If it were a south-facing roof, I'd have ~25% more production.

It's still probably a financially viable roof to use - even if it isn't the ideal direction/slope.

Good eye! It is exactly 290. Which is better than if it was 250. The reason is that my east facing roof is actually at 110 I'm putting significantly more panels on the east side than the west. In Colorado you quite often have convective build up in the afternoon meaning the west facing panels don't end up being as effective as they might be in someplace like California.

[ButchDeal]

Here is a section (with ground for DC)

[RedDenver]

What are the white and pink sections?

[ButchDeal]

Higher solar potential (south slopes) We changed the color latter to more closely reflect the more common color bands.

[rsilvers]

Google Maps just updated. Check it out - unbelievable. They have full 3D trees and house for my neighborhood now. If they don't for your area, put in Big Ben London or Freedom Tower NYC to see the potential.

You would think they are using this data for Solar Roofs in some areas, or will be.

[DanKegel]

Google Maps just updated. Check it out - unbelievable. They have full 3D trees and house for my neighborhood now

That is pretty awesome. Not only that they did it, but that it's in a web browser (!), and performs so well (!!). (And funny -- I see some floating treetops without trunks!)