Two organisations have launched software tools that should allow householders and building operators to get a first approximation of whether their home or site is suitable for installing solar and other renewables technologies.

First, Google’s ‘Project Sunroof’ – an online tool which allows homeowners to calculate the savings they could make by installing solar technology in their homes – is being made available to residents in parts of Britain through a partnership between E.ON, Google and software provider Tetraeder.

The Project Sunroof tool uses Google Earth, Google Maps and machine learning to estimate how much solar potential a house has by examining the property’s surroundings, weather data, sun positioning, and roof area/angle.

E.ON says it is the first energy supplier to offer a personalised solar savings estimator in Britain, giving homeowners the information they need to make informed decisions about whether solar technology could be viable for them.

Homeowners in certain regions can now visit eon-solar.co.uk to use the tool, which not only calculates potential cost savings quickly, but also allows people to sign up and begin their solar panel installation process.