Working with resource efficiency company Sustain, Bluesky has mapped around 100,000 housing association properties across the UK, measuring their potential for energy generation from solar panels.
Using a combination of high-resolution aerial photography and detailed 3D models, Bluesky accurately predicts the potential for solar energy generation for individual houses based on a number of factors, including roof size and aspect as well as possible interference from neighbouring properties or trees. Sustain then uses this information to prepare detailed reports for housing providers containing cost/benefit analysis and, more recently, highlighting the potential to reduce fuel poverty.
Matthew Landick, associate, Sustain, said, “By using Bluesky’s solar potential maps, we can assess more properties across wider areas than would otherwise be possible. We can then use this information to identify potential photo-voltaic installation programmes based on geography, cost, and benefit to housing providers. In recent projects, we have also used this data to assess the impact of a solar installation on fuel poverty avoidance.
“The geographical outputs from Bluesky allow us to create far more interactive and user-friendly reports for housing providers than simply providing figures and spreadsheets, and enable us to analyse and aggregate the results in a more useful way, supporting decision making when taking works forward.”
