Mapdwell created an online database that measures the viability of solar panels on each building in Boston.
Credit: Metro file photo
Eduardo Berlin considered every shady tree and sliver of sunshine in Boston so you didn’t have to.
As CEO of Mapdwell, the 39-year-old architect with a Harvard education was one of the brains behind an online database that allows anyone in the city to examine their property for solar viability. The cutting edge database could be the next big thing that helps consumers cut down on greenhouse gas emissions.
Mapdwell, an MIT spinoff, in conjunction with the city, built a 3-D topological structure of the entire city and considered weather and geolocation data for every square meter of every hour of the year in Boston. That data was used to calculate the viability of solar panels on 127,000 buildings. Shade cast by every single tree and structure was considered, he said.
What does this mean for you, Boston dweller? A database now exists where you look up how much solar panels would cost for your home or business and how much monthly revenue and electricity output the panels would generate.
“We need to captivate people’s interest,” he said. “That part is not about the metrics or how many trees it can save — it has to be interesting. You remember when Google maps first came out and you got excited to see your house? We want you to feel that.”
The database can be viewed here.
