Since Colorado isn't on the list, I used my sister's San Francisco address to test it out. Here's a bird's eye view of her neighborhood with a color key - purple is shade and yellow is sun.
Since she's only lived there a few months, they don't yet have a very good picture of her monthly electric bill, which is a self-set field on the Sunroof site to more accurately estimate savings. I'm going to go with $150 based on some anecdotal evidence and some data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. San Francisco turns out to be a good place to start looking at potential solar savings, not just because it is in Googleplex's backyard. Residents of the city paid 64% more than the national average per kWh in July of this year. In fact, prices have exceeded the national average by at least 60% in the past 5 years.
With this information, Project Sunroof estimates that 62% of my sister's electricity could be offset by solar panels of 4.25Kw, or 300sqft (which may just fit on the 305sqft available, Google optimistically figures). This percentage is based on daily analysis of weather patterns in the area that conclude there are 1,410 hours of usable sunlight per year shining down on their heads and roofs.
It also informs her that she can lease with zero money down and see an annual savings of $500, or $10,000 over the course of the 20-year lease. Alternatively, she can buy the system for $12,000 upfront and, while it will take 8 years to see a return on investment, in 20 years she will realize $21,000 in savings. From there, you can link to a list of solar providers in the area.
The site is easy and clear, and hopefully can take some of the hesitancy out of the decision for consumers, some of whom still look at solar power like my mom looks at a smartphone. Google says they will continue to expand availability over the next few months.
By the way, what do you think of Google's new look? I prefer the old serif font, myself.
I would love to help you with your real estate journey.
Please contact me at 303-917-7143 or robbin@stauferteam.com
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