Expanded Coverage (Experimental)

This product or feature is Experimental (pre-GA). Pre-GA products and features might have limited support, and changes to pre-GA products and features might not be compatible with other pre-GA versions. Pre-GA Offerings are covered by the Google Maps Platform Service Specific Terms. For more information, see the launch stage descriptions.

The Solar API is launching an experimental feature that expands coverage to previously unsupported regions, based on machine learning models applied to satellite imagery. To access experimental solar data, set the experiments parameter to EXPANDED_COVERAGE and the requiredQuality parameter to BASE.

Note: Only BASE quality data is available under this experiment. Solar API calls with experiments=EXPANDED_COVERAGE are discounted by 100% during the Experimental phase. To access HIGH or MEDIUM quality data, remove the experiments=EXPANDED_COVERAGE parameter. Non-experimental calls will be billed at the standard rate.

Experimental data is available for buildingInsights and dataLayers requests. The following sections describe example requests and responses.

To continually improve the data and models to meet your needs, the Solar API team is soliciting feedback on this experimental release. To share your feedback, submit a response in the Solar API Testing Program Experience Survey or file a bug in the Solar API: Expanded Coverage Issue Tracker. For the latest announcements, join the Solar API Expanded Coverage group by emailing [e-mail].

Building insights

The buildingInsights endpoint provides insights about the location, dimensions, and solar potential of a building. To request building insights, send an HTTP GET request to:

https://solar.googleapis.com/v1/buildingInsights:findClosest?key=YOUR_API_KEY

Include your request URL parameters that specify the latitude and longitude coordinates of the location and the minimum required quality level allowed in the results.

The following example requests building insights information for the location at the coordinates of latitude = 4.655719 and longitude = -74.128971. To request experimental data, set the following parameters:

• requiredQuality = BASE
• experiments = EXPANDED_COVERAGE

Note: BASE imagery quality data is only available if the experiments parameter is set to EXPANDED_COVERAGE.

curl -X GET "https://solar.googleapis.com/v1/buildingInsights:findClosest?location.latitude=4.655719&location.longitude=-74.128971&requiredQuality=BASE&experiments=EXPANDED_COVERAGE&key=YOUR_API_KEY"

That request produces a JSON response in the form:

{
  "name": "buildings/ChIJW2GaKXecP44RaeGtGpQtk4Q",
  "center": {
    "latitude": 4.6557664,
    "longitude": -74.1289303
  },
  "imageryDate": {
    "year": 2024,
    "month": 2,
    "day": 19
  },
  "regionCode": "CO",
  "solarPotential": {
    "maxArrayPanelsCount": 351,
    "maxArrayAreaMeters2": 689.20776,
    "maxSunshineHoursPerYear": 1631.7008,
    "carbonOffsetFactorKgPerMwh": 122.99986,
    "wholeRoofStats": {
      "areaMeters2": 1078.406,
      "sunshineQuantiles": [
        562.9261,
        930.9767,
        1165.876,
        1221.8761,
        1333.0057,
        1485.7363,
        1563.2417,
        1593.266,
        1610.5652,
        1621.5986,
        1640.6102
      ],
      "groundAreaMeters2": 1050.76
    },
    "roofSegmentStats": [
      {
        "pitchDegrees": 38.58091,
        "azimuthDegrees": 41.91368,
        "stats": {
          "areaMeters2": 23.153826,
          "sunshineQuantiles": [
            582.9132,
            612.5797,
            673.3435,
            762.14233,
            899.41864,
            1031.1329,
            1103.8121,
            1135.5204,
            1150.2969,
            1158.215,
            1170.5475
          ],
          "groundAreaMeters2": 18.1
        },
        "center": {
          "latitude": 4.6554996,
          "longitude": -74.128966699999992
        },
        "boundingBox": {
          "sw": {
            "latitude": 4.655472,
            "longitude": -74.1290005
          },
          "ne": {
            "latitude": 4.6555371999999995,
            "longitude": -74.1289328
          }
        },
        "planeHeightAtCenterMeters": 2552.031
      },
      /.../
    ]
    "solarPanelConfigs": [
      {
        "panelsCount": 4,
        "yearlyEnergyDcKwh": 2609.5698,
        "roofSegmentSummaries": [
          {
            "pitchDegrees": 10.260736,
            "azimuthDegrees": 131.22626,
            "panelsCount": 1,
            "yearlyEnergyDcKwh": 652.84863,
            "segmentIndex": 6
          },
          {
            "pitchDegrees": 8.649131,
            "azimuthDegrees": 145.79407,
            "panelsCount": 1,
            "yearlyEnergyDcKwh": 652.3829,
            "segmentIndex": 11
          },
          {
            "pitchDegrees": 5.061984,
            "azimuthDegrees": 12.690001,
            "panelsCount": 2,
            "yearlyEnergyDcKwh": 1304.3383,
            "segmentIndex": 12
          }
        ]
      },
      /.../
    ]
    "panelCapacityWatts": 400,
    "panelHeightMeters": 1.879,
    "panelWidthMeters": 1.045,
    "panelLifetimeYears": 20,
    "buildingStats": {
      "areaMeters2": 1143.155,
      "sunshineQuantiles": [
        557,
        883.26263,
        1146.4794,
        1209.3063,
        1278.1102,
        1465.2921,
        1557.7494,
        1590.9565,
        1609.4994,
        1621.1909,
        1640.6102
      ],
      "groundAreaMeters2": 1089.35
    },
    "solarPanels": [
      {
        "center": {
          "latitude": 4.6560077,
          "longitude": -74.12885
        },
        "orientation": "PORTRAIT",
        "yearlyEnergyDcKwh": 653.14404,
        "segmentIndex": 12
      },
      /.../
    ]
    },
  "boundingBox": {
    "sw": {
      "latitude": 4.6554716,
      "longitude": -74.129243899999992
    },
    "ne": {
      "latitude": 4.6560513,
      "longitude": -74.128623900000008
    }
  },
  "imageryQuality": "BASE",
  "imageryProcessedDate": {
    "year": 2024,
    "month": 7,
    "day": 21
  }
}

Data layers

The dataLayers endpoint provides detailed solar information for a region surrounding a specified location. The endpoint returns 17 downloadable TIFF files, including a digital surface model (DSM), RGB composite layer (aerial imagery), and a mask layer that identifies the boundaries of the analysis, among others.

The following example shows the URL of a REST request to the dataLayers method:

https://solar.googleapis.com/v1/dataLayers:get?parameters

Include your request URL parameters that specify the following:

• Latitude and longitude coordinates of the location
• The radius (in meters) of the region surrounding the location
• The minimum quality allowed in the results

To request experimental data, set the following parameters:

• requiredQuality = BASE
• experiments = EXPANDED_COVERAGE

curl -X GET "https://solar.googleapis.com/v1/dataLayers:get?location.latitude=4.655719&location.longitude=-74.128971&radiusMeters=100&requiredQuality=BASE&experiments=EXPANDED_COVERAGE&key=YOUR_API_KEY"

That request produces a JSON response in the form:

{
  "imageryDate": {
    "year": 2024,
    "month": 2,
    "day": 19
  },
  "imageryProcessedDate": {
    "year": 2024,
    "month": 7,
    "day": 21
  },
  "dsmUrl": "https://solar.googleapis.com/v1/geoTiff:get?id=YTYwZDUzYTMxNjVmMjFlYWNjZmMyYzcxYTNhNWQ2OWItZTM0ZWRjZTQwNTZjZWUyYTNiNWE2ZjU5OTVkYWJjNTM6RFNNOkJBU0U",
  "rgbUrl": "https://solar.googleapis.com/v1/geoTiff:get?id=MWU2NmYxNmU3M2JlYmY5NDJkZmVmMjQ0NDViMjFjYTgtZWVhYjRiN2U0YWJlNzM2Nzk1MzUxZTQ4YTgxNjZiM2M6UkdCOkJBU0U",
  "maskUrl": "https://solar.googleapis.com/v1/geoTiff:get?id=ZGU4NzhmNDg0YjE2OGYwYTdjN2EyYmVlMDQxYTM5NDMtNDk2NGQwNzBhMzAwYzBkYTEwZDNmYjgzNTk4ODkyY2I6TUFTSzpCQVNF",
  "annualFluxUrl": "https://solar.googleapis.com/v1/geoTiff:get?id=NmRiZDQ0NDFkNWE5NDU2Nzc2ZTU1Mzg0MDY0YzFhMWMtMDg2ZDMyZjVkYTMzMDhiZmI5NzM1MzY0YmRjZmFiM2I6QU5OVUFMX0ZMVVg6QkFTRQ",
  "monthlyFluxUrl": "https://solar.googleapis.com/v1/geoTiff:get?id=NTAyMDJkMTVmMjJiZGYyOTNiMDFhMWEzNDJkZjAwNTctZDRjMjY3ZjU1YjQ2ZjE4ZTNkNjE1YmU5NTlmOThlZjM6TU9OVEhMWV9GTFVYOkJBU0U",
  "hourlyShadeUrls": [
    "https://solar.googleapis.com/v1/geoTiff:get?id=NWNkZmM0NTcwYTE5ODQzMmI0MmQ1NDM4NzY4MTc5MzEtOWE0MTBjNDkwM2IxZjA0MmI1ZTNmNTg1NTY0MTNkZjI6SE9VUkxZX1NIQURFOkJBU0U",
    "https://solar.googleapis.com/v1/geoTiff:get?id=Y2YwNDY4MzQ1YzhkMjBlZjU5M2NiNDRmMmM0ODRiNTUtNjMwOWM2NDBjZmI5OTdkMDA3ZGQzOWY2YmI1ZTk2NWM6SE9VUkxZX1NIQURFOkJBU0U",
    /.../
  ],
  "imageryQuality": "BASE"
}

To make a request to the URL in the response, append your API key to the URL:

curl -X GET "https://solar.googleapis.com/v1/geoTiff:get?id=YTYwZDUzYTMxNjVmMjFlYWNjZmMyYzcxYTNhNWQ2OWItZTM0ZWRjZTQwNTZjZWUyYTNiNWE2ZjU5OTVkYWJjNTM6RFNNOkJBU0U&key=YOUR_API_KEY"

With the exception of the RGB layer, all TIFF files will display as blank images in image viewer applications. To view downloaded TIFF files, import them into a mapping application software, such as QGIS.

The full specification of this request and response is in the reference documentation.

Note: Response URLs are only active for one hour after the initial request. To access URLs beyond this timeframe, you must send a request to the dataLayers endpoint again.