In the age of renewable energy, solar power has emerged as a promising solution to address the pressing concerns of climate change and sustainable energy production. With advancements in technology, solar design has become more sophisticated, with accurate data gathering being essential for successful solar installations.
While Google Maps satellite imagery has served as a widely used tool for preliminary solar design, it falls short in providing reliable data crucial for optimal solar system planning. In this blog post, we will explore the limitations of Google Maps satellite imagery for solar design and how solar site surveys offer a more precise and dependable alternative.
Google Maps, with its satellite view feature, has revolutionized how we explore and navigate the world. With just a few clicks, users can zoom in on virtually any location and access high-resolution aerial imagery. This accessibility has naturally made Google Maps a popular choice for various applications, including preliminary solar design.
There are certain advantages of using Google Maps satellite imagery for solar design, such as:
Global coverage: Google Maps offers coverage of vast geographical areas worldwide, making it a convenient tool for accessing imagery from almost any location.
Easy accessibility: The platform is user-friendly, allowing individuals with little technical knowledge to access aerial images with ease.
Quick preliminary assessment: For an initial overview of a site's solar potential, Google Maps can offer a rapid glimpse of nearby obstructions, terrain, and available space for solar panels.
The Limitations of Google Maps Satellite Imagery for Solar Design
While Google Maps has its merits, it falls short in providing the level of precision required for solar design. The following are the primary limitations of relying solely on Google Maps satellite imagery.
Outdated imagery:
Google Maps does not update its satellite imagery frequently, meaning that the available images may be several months or even years old. For solar design projects that require the most up-to-date information, such as assessing tree cover changes, nearby construction, or new obstructions, this outdated data can lead to costly errors and inaccuracies.
Here, you can see a side-by-side comparison of two photos of the same address. The photo on the left was a drone photo we took during a site survey. The photo on the right was a screenshot of that site’s Google Maps satellite imagery.
Inconsistent resolution
The resolution of Google Maps satellite imagery can vary significantly from one location to another. While some urban areas may have high-resolution images, rural or less developed regions might suffer from pixelated or blurry images, making it challenging to assess crucial details like shading analysis accurately.
Limited information on shading analysis
Shading analysis is a critical aspect of solar design, as shadows from nearby structures or objects can significantly impact a solar system's efficiency. However, Google Maps does not provide real-time or dynamic shading analysis capabilities, making it difficult to predict the exact shading patterns throughout the day and year accurately.
Lack of sun-path data
Understanding the sun's path throughout the year is essential for determining the optimal orientation and tilt angle of solar panels. Google Maps lacks the ability to provide specific sun-path data, which is crucial for precise solar design, especially for off-grid installations.
Difficulty in measuring roof dimensions
For rooftop solar installations, accurate measurements of the roof area are vital. Google Maps' measurement tools are limited and often imprecise, leading to inaccuracies in estimating available space for solar panels.
What about Solar Site Surveys?
As an alternative to relying solely on Google Maps satellite imagery, solar site surveys offer a more dependable and accurate approach for gathering the information required for solar design. A solar site survey involves an on-site inspection conducted by solar professionals or installers.
There are a variety of advantages of solar site surveys, including:
Real-time data collection: Solar site surveys provide real-time data, ensuring that the information gathered is current and up-to-date.
High precision: Professionals conducting solar site surveys use specialized tools and equipment to collect precise data on shading, roof dimensions, obstructions, and sun-path analysis. For example, Exactus Energy’s site surveys are able to get quarter-inch level accuracy on commercial project data, and inch-level accuracy on residential project data.
Customized design: Solar site surveys enable installers to tailor the solar system design to the specific needs and conditions of each site, maximizing energy production and efficiency.
Identifying potential challenges: Site surveys allow for the identification of potential challenges or issues that may not be visible through satellite imagery, such as structural concerns or electrical limitations.
Accurate financial projections: By obtaining accurate data through solar site surveys, financial projections for the solar project can be made with greater confidence, leading to more reliable ROI estimates.
While Google Maps satellite imagery has been a valuable tool for many applications, it falls short in meeting the demands of precise solar design. Outdated and inconsistent imagery, lack of real-time data, and limited shading analysis capabilities render it unreliable for solar installations.
In contrast, solar site surveys provide the necessary accuracy and up-to-date information to ensure successful solar projects. By conducting on-site inspections, solar professionals can gather data that allows for customized designs, identifies potential challenges, and provides accurate financial projections. For a comprehensive list of benefits that site surveys can offer a solar project, click here to read one of our previous posts.
As the solar industry continues to grow, embracing solar site surveys as a standard practice will undoubtedly lead to more efficient and reliable solar installations, contributing to the broader goal of a sustainable and renewable energy future.