From pv magazine France.
French energy company Total and Google Cloud have developed the Solar Mapper analytical prediction tool to accelerate PV deployment by providing rapid estimates of household solar energy potential.
The system will be deployed in Europe ahead of a global roll-out, according to its developers.
Solar Mapper uses artificial intelligence algorithms to compile and improve data extracted from satellite images. It is said to be able to indicate the most suitable technology as well as estimating site solar potential. The developers have also touted the geographic coverage of the system, with 90% of France applicable for its use, for instance.
“Solar Mapper will allow Total to deploy solar panels on private roofs more quickly, in order to provide its customers with more affordable and more available solar energy,” said Marie-Noëlle Séméria, R&D director at the energy company. “By combining Total’s expertise in solar energy with that of Google Cloud in artificial intelligence and databases, we were able to develop this offer in six months.”
The service will also be offered as a commercial and industrial application, said Total and Google Cloud.
The French energy giant said Solar Mapper is part of its ambition to “become a world leader in renewable energy production, with a view to achieving carbon neutrality by 2050.”
Total said around 40% of the group’s investments are devoted to ‘low carbon energy.’
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What “solar mapper” will not tell you is how much overcast or smoke is going to affect your output or how much trees will grow taller next to your home or on the city street trees and block your sunlight in a few years. How about that second story addition your neighbor is going to build in three years right in front of your south exposure? Tesla is using similar software on their Solar Glass Roof sales out of Las Vegas, Nevada to sell solar roofs nation wide without even a human site inspection before the contract is signed. Optimal sun light is not real life sun exposure and when arial photgraphy or space based cameras are used, they ususaly get the photos on the clearest skys possible.
Utilities also limit your hook ups based on your normal usage over the last 12 months, rather than greatest solar power available generation. I based my system on winter exposure and that made me size my off-grid system 4 times larger that a grid tied system with my utility would allow. I get enough for the winter months and then run my air conditioning at 70 degrees to burn off my summer exposure plus use my extra battery power up each night with outdoor lighting dispays and even some electric heaters when the fog roles in. The best place to put my solar was “not” on my roof but in my back yard where the city trees and second story addition next door did not throw shadows. Residential solar contractors do not do ground or elevated back yard solar systems
. Sunpower was bought out by Total and I used to recomend Sunpower to my friends. Now with Sunpower panels no longer made in the USA but in China, I now recomend Tesla and their New York State made solar tiles for the Solar Glass Roof which I have added to my system, but, for Grid Tie only use.