Shading can be a big problem for any residential or commercial solar installation, and figuring out the impact on energy yield is a challenging exercise. The best answer is to get a solar professional to come and survey your home; but, let's say you want to find out for yourself! That is exactly what inspired Andrew Mackenzie to create an iPhone App for solar site assessments. The App caught the attention of Solmetric, they purchaced the software and re-branded the App the "Solmetric iPV".

The Solmetric application is a sophisticated program that utilizes the unique features of the iPhone to provide a rough survey of any location for solar power. The GPS and compass features provide the orientation and information required to get local sun exposure information, and the angles the panels would be at once installed on your home. You also trace the skyline, and the heights of the local obstructions of the sun are all measured. And using all this, a rendering is made of the location you choose, with available light and other measurements. But the best part is the end result, as this application will show you the approximate energy production of a system if you had it on your roof.

This application is fairly accurate when compared to other professional surveys and devices. Thousands of people are already using this application and have found out for themselves the benefits of going solar. This is an excellent way to provide the initial assessment to figure out whether solar really would be of benefit for the home or business owner. If you are on the edge about solar, and want to see some real numbers on how much solar power can produce at your home or business, give the Solmetric iPhone application a try. http://www.solmetric.com/solmetricipv.html