We all know that alternative energy is a necessary part of our future, but taking the first steps toward installing solar panels on your home can seem daunting. A number of important questions arise right off the bat: Will the initial outlay of the cost of installation be realistically offset by savings on my electric bill? Does my residence receive enough sunlight to make solar energy feasible? How do I even determine the answers to these questions?
Enter Google engineer Carl Elkin, who has come up with a method to handily address these issues. By utilizing mapping data and high-resolution aerial photos derived from the Google Earth app, Elkin invented Project Sunroof.

“The cost of solar power is at a record low,” Elkin wrote in a blog post recently, announcing the project. “A typical solar home can save hundreds or even thousands per year on their electricity bill.”

A solar homeowner and a volunteer with the Boston-based solar program Solarize Massachusetts, Elkin says he’s always been surprised at how many people he meets who “think that ‘my roof isn’t sunny enough for solar,’ or ‘solar is too expensive.’” The engineer believes a lot of those people are “missing out on a chance to save money and be green.”

Although Google hopes to greatly expand it, currently the project is restricted to the San Francisco Bay area and two pilot cities -- Fresno, California and Boston, Massachusetts. Residents of those areas can check out the Project Sunroof website. Simply enter your home address and it determines the amount of sunlight your roof is exposed to by combining data on weather patterns and aerial photos while also taking other pertinent factors into account, such as shade from nearby trees and buildings as well as your roof’s orientation to the sun.

Putting all of that data together, Project Sunroof can calculate the effectiveness of solar panels on your building and the resulting savings on your electric bill. If you choose, it will also provide you with a list of solar panel installation companies near you.

“While Project Sunroof is in a pilot phase for now,” says Elkin, “during the coming months we’ll be exploring how to make the tool better and more widely available.” If you don't live in one of the three project areas but are interested in eventually taking advantage of the program, you can go to the website and enter your email address, and they’ll notify you when they’ve expanded to cover your vicinity.