Before installing solar panels on your roof, you'll need to know if you're making a good investment, which means knowing how well your new system will perform, and if it's going to save you money on power over the long term. So engineers at the University of New South Wales in Australia have developed a new online tool that can tell consumers just that, making the transition to solar a whole lot easier

The Solar Potential Tool uses 3D spatial data, and allows users to zoom in on a map to locate their roof and to draw a shape, roughly equivalent to the area of the planned system. The tool uses meteorological data to assess the impact of weather, and also works out how shade from nearby buildings and trees will affect the performance of a planned system.