Currently in its early stages, Project Sunroof tracks how much sun every roof receives. Then it estimates the costs and savings if rooftop solar were installed. Right now, the tool only covers the Bay Area, Fresno, and Boston.
Google wants to make it easier for homeowners to think about going solar. A new map-based tool, Project Sunroof, lets users check whether their home (or any other structure within the coverage area) gets enough sunlight to warrant solar installation. Then it estimates costs and savings. In its current stage, the tool only covers the Bay Area, Fresno, and Boston.
Once you look up an address, "you can fine-tune the estimate to figure out whether solar panels on your roof make financial sense, by plugging in your monthly electric bill, choosing a financing option (leasing versus loans versus buying), and so forth."
Project Sunroof's estimates take local circumstances into account. "California, for instance, has high electricity prices, which means there are bigger potential savings from installing rooftop solar. The tool also factors in various regional policy incentives — like state tax incentives, local rebates, and what kind of net metering rules a state has [...]"
The article discusses how residents of multi-family dwellings can take advantage of community solar. "These are programs in which people who don't own suitable roofs can agree to 'subscribe' to electricity from a solar PV project elsewhere. They then pay a monthly charge that appears on their utility bill."
FULL STORY: Are solar panels right for you? Google's new mapping tool can help you decide
Oregon Passes Exemption to Urban Growth Boundary
Cities have a one-time chance to acquire new land for development in a bid to increase housing supply and affordability.
Where Urban Design Is Headed in 2024
A forecast of likely trends in urban design and architecture.
Savannah: A City of Planning Contrasts
From a human-scales, plaza-anchored grid to suburban sprawl, the oldest planned city in the United States has seen wildly different development patterns.
Washington Tribes Receive Resilience Funding
The 28 grants support projects including relocation efforts as coastal communities face the growing impacts of climate change.
Adaptive Reuse Bills Introduced in California Assembly
The legislation would expand eligibility for economic incentives and let cities loosen regulations to allow for more building conversions.
LA's Top Parks, Ranked
TimeOut just released its list of the top 26 parks in the L.A. area, which is home to some of the best green spaces around.
City of Rochester
Boston Harbor Now
City of Bellevue
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
Mpact Transit + Community
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
City of Birmingham, Alabama
City of Laramie, Wyoming
Colorado Department of Local Affairs
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.