OhmHome launches residential solar map tool with installer details

June 7 (Renewables Now) - US firm OhmHome this month launched a new online tool -- NextDoor Solar -- allowing consumers in the US to check how many solar systems there are in a certain area and which company installed them.

Where available, the tool also shows the price of photovoltaic (PV) systems.

OhmHome says its ultimate goal is to drive consumer adoption of solar. Yale research has shown that interest in going solar in neighborhoods is “contagious”.

NextDoor Solar is especially useful in newer solar markets like Florida and Texas where consumers are not as familiar with solar and local companies, Chris Collins, head of consumer content and solar data services for OhmHome and the company's data services division OhmAnalytics, tells Renewables Now.

"I live in San Diego, California, and we have neighborhoods here with 20% PV penetration and constant radio ads," Collins said.

Research by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) shows that local installers can offer consumers 10% more savings than large national companies. However, researching local installers is not an easy task and NextDoor Solar is there to help.

The tool is free and based on a database of over 500,000 residential solar projects in the US. It offers a selection of the over 30 major solar markets.

Asked whether the company has any plans for a similar tool for energy storage, Collins said "Not at this time, but definitely a consideration for the future."