CANADA..... RISING UTILITY PRICES,Turns Some CALGARY HOMEOWNERS SWITCH TO SOLAR POWER....the SOLAR CALCULATOR DETERMINES.

By Chandrayee Roy Choudhury, Canada: Soaring utility prices and public awareness have turned some Calgarians' attention to solar. 

For homeowners looking to buy solar panels for a single-family home, the City of Calgary has released a residential solar calculator to help assess their home’s potential in an attempt to save costs on utility bills.

The residential solar calculator uses satellite imagery to assess homes. It details how much available productive roof area a home may have. It can even tell the orientation and pitch of the roof, along with any obstructions or shadows that might impact solar potential. 



The tool is supposed to help homeowners determine if installing solar panels on their roofs is financially feasible.

Interest in solar has doubled every year for the last three years, according to one Calgary-based business. 

An average home installation can run between $10,000 to $20,000, so for most homeowners it’s a substantial investment.