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Green Collar Careers - Solar Site Diagram

The purpose of a Site Survey is to provide a visual overview of the property and identify specific equipment locations.  Using some of the tools and websites identified below will give you the opportunity to evaluate the property in advance for suitable locations and potential obstacles.  Your goal is to take as little time on the premesis to gather exactly the information required.

Site Diagram

 

Google Earth has a free download that provides the tools to create an excellent Site Diagram and align the building to True South (Solar Noon).  Try it on your own home, and zoom in full view; not all homes in America will zoom in full view, most will.  Look for the best southern exposure.  Click on the image to see a larger view. After downloading the Google Earth software take some time to go through the features;  you can always start over.  Its an easy tool to master after about 30 minutes.    After you've had some time to learn it, in the View menu, selecting "Grid" will display a latitude-longitude grid in which the grid lines run in the north-south and east-west directions.

Note the information along the bottom includes degrees latitude and longitude.  From the menu bar select "Copy Image" and save it with a graphic package such as Windows Paint, Fireworks, Adobe or the application of your choice.  (If you would like a free graphics package that works well with Google Earth, try Sketch-Up).

Print out a copy of the home at optimal zoom.  Try to sketch out the outline of the house on a piece of graph paper.  It doesn't need to be perfect or fancy and use a ruler.  These are your Site Plan documents.