Google is introducing a suite of sustainability-focused Application Programming Interfaces (APIs) that leverage artificial intelligence (AI) capabilities to offer developers real-time information on solar potential, air quality, and pollen levels.
These tools are part of Google’s commitment to assisting individuals, cities, and partners in collectively reducing one gigaton of carbon equivalent emissions annually by 2030.
The Solar API is an evolution of Google’s 2015 Project Sunroof, using modern maps and enhanced computing resources. It covers 320 million buildings across 40 countries, including the United States, France, and Japan. By employing AI models, it extracts precise rooftop angles and slopes from aerial photographs, factors in shade estimates from nearby trees, incorporates historical weather data, and considers current energy pricing. This comprehensive estimate helps solar installation companies and homeowners assess the potential of solar panels without requiring on-site visits.
The Air Quality layer, originally valuable during events like the 2021 California Wildfires, has become a standalone API available in over 100 countries. It collects and organizes terabytes of data hourly from various sources, such as government monitoring stations, meteorological data, sensors, and satellites. Additionally, it accounts for traffic conditions and vehicle volume to predict predominant pollutants accurately. This API serves diverse industries, including healthcare, transportation, and automotive, by providing timely air quality information to users worldwide.
Google is also expanding its pollen tracking capabilities into a full Pollen API, monitoring the seasonal release of pollen in more than 65 countries. By incorporating local wind patterns and annual trends, it offers users local pollen count data, allergen details, and heatmaps indicating regions with the highest pollen levels. This data can be leveraged by travel planning applications to enhance daily commutes or vacations.
These sustainability APIs demonstrate Google’s commitment to addressing environmental challenges and promoting sustainable practices. They provide valuable information and insights to individuals, businesses, and policymakers, facilitating informed decisions and actions in the pursuit of a more sustainable future.