Google sells map data for renewable energy
According to the data for the company displayed and Google’s shares, the software giant will provide a Solar API for use by SunRun, Tesla Energy, Aurora Solar, Zillow, Redfin and PG&E institutions and organizations. Some of the data from the Solar API will come from a consumer-focused pilot called Project Sunroof, a solar energy savings calculator first launched in 2015.
The program allows users to enter their address and get estimated solar costs, such as savings on electricity bills and the size of the solar installation they will need. It also offers 3D modeling of the roofs of buildings and nearby trees based on Google Maps data. Google will also show you how much sun a house’s roof gets in an average year, along with the Solar API. As a result, solar panel manufacturers or such system providers will be able to design remote solar energy systems for their individual or corporate customers, reduce evaluation times, create location-based offers and provide easy information to consumers.
However, Google plans to sell API access to aggregate data for all buildings in a given city or county, as well as individual building data. According to the documents, the company says it has data for more than 350 million buildings. Google expects to generate between $90 and $100 million in revenue in the first year after the release of their respective APIs. There is also the potential for APIs to connect with Google Cloud products.