Google launches solar power service in UK

Google is offering a new service, which it says could help British homeowners save money by switching to solar power.

The tech giant has released an online tool called Project Sunroof, in partnership with energy supplier Eon, that estimates savings using data from Google’s Earth and Maps apps.

It first launched in the US in 2015, where reviews suggested it was broadly accurate but gave some odd results.

Google is also working with German software firm Tetraeder on the project.

Project Sunroof uses machine learning to estimate how much solar potential a house has by examining the property’s features, such as its roof area and angle, and weather data, such as sun positioning.

Google claims that its models are detailed enough to assess the impact of a single tree on a home’s solar potential.

It isn’t the first tool of its kind – Ikea offers a similar service in collaboration with Solarcentury, and Tesla launched its own Solar Roof Calculator last summer.

But these companies and others require homeowners to submit additional data about the shape of their roofs or their homes before getting a quote on savings.