Is there money to be made on your roof? With the never-ending availability of sunshine and the evolution of solar technology many are recognizing the benefits of solar. The decision making process though is not for the faint of heart. Recognizing the difficulty in breaking through the process a company called Generaytor out of Tel Aviv has developed a free web-based app to show how much money can be saved and made with rooftop solar panels.
CEO and founder Amit Rosner says it’s incredible to see how long it takes people to go solar due to its complexity especially when one is not familiar with the technology. “Since it is a long-term investment, it is important to make a educated decision,” Rosner says. So, to support the process, Generaytor’s platform connects novice decision makers with solar panel users who are more than pleased to share their experience.
Generaytor’s concept is simple: connect people who already produce solar energy and tap them for their knowledge and solar enthusiasm. There are independent idealists who want to be free of public electricity supply and others who consider it a smart investment but whatever the reason, Generaytor found many are happy to share their experience and data related to their own solar energy production.
Generaytor gathers information about users’ roofs, including size, location and solar exposure. It accumulates data from private solar producers region-by-region and offers for free calculation of the solar potential in that location.
Users can go to the website, type in their roof’s specifications and the app will show them electricity production potential. Generaytor says it’s important for them to be objective and they do sometimes tell users not to invest in solar.
“As sunshine does not cost anything, we think the same should be true for the knowledge around solar energy — it should be for free and easily accessible,” Rosner states and explains how this perception led to the business model (or lack thereof). Generaytor’s services are free for both sides. There are no advertisements on their webpage and Generaytor does not sell any panels themselves. “This is important, because if we [sold advertisements] we would not be objective, we would lose credibility and miss the whole point of creating a transparent platform where people can make a sound decision in a trustworthy environment.”
Article by Robin Blackstone, appearing courtesy Environmental News Network.
