Scan your space
Start with your balcony, patio, or other sunny spot. Explore its orientation and potential shade.
Assess your fit☀️ A new way to think about solarYour space.
Your space.
Your sunshine.
Your solar.
You shouldn't need to own a roof to explore solar. SolarSnap is building a simpler way to see if your balcony or outdoor space could work, find the right-size kit, and make the most of every ray.
✦Early-stage concept & prototype · Consumer experience in development
✳
✦
Make your own energy
Start small.
One sunny spot at a time
Balcony-friendly idea
No roof required to explore your optionsPhone-first planning experienceMade for renters and small spaces
Simple from the first step
From “could I?” to
“here's how.”
Our planned consumer experience connects the pieces of balcony solar that are usually scattered across guides, calculators, and product pages.
Size your system
See an estimated panel size, expected production, and possible bill savings for your space.
Know what to expectFind a fitting kit
Browse recommended compatible products and compare options before choosing what to buy.
Shop with confidenceGet clear guidance
Follow product-specific setup information, with professional referrals where electrical review is needed.
Use it responsiblyPlanned product journey — shopping and setup recommendations are not yet an active service on this page.
✓ Your space, your setup
Scan your space
Look at your options in a few steps
123
BALCONY VIEW
Continue →
☀ Solar potential
Built around your space
A little balcony.
A lot of possibility.
Solar planning software was traditionally designed around large rooftops. We're rethinking that experience for the places renters and apartment dwellers actually have access to.
✓
Personalized over generic
Because two balconies in the same building can have very different sunlight.
✓
Understand the numbers
See what energy production and savings might mean for you, before spending money.
✓
Know when to ask an expert
Installation guidance should account for equipment certification, electrical conditions, local rules, and building requirements.
What could a small system do?
Small solar. Real math.
A simple illustration shows how output, electricity price, and kit cost change the picture. Your actual results will depend on your location and setup.
EXAMPLE SYSTEM SIZE
400W
A compact panel system used for illustration—not a blanket indication of DIY eligibility.
ILLUSTRATIVE ANNUAL OUTPUT
600 kWh
An example assumption for a favorable site, not a prediction for every balcony.
POSSIBLE YEARLY BILL OFFSET
$90–150
If all 600 kWh reduce billed consumption at an avoided rate of $0.15–$0.25/kWh.
For a $500 kit, those assumptions imply roughly 3.3–5.6 years of simple payback before any additional costs. Actual output and savings can differ substantially; some systems may be unsuitable. This is an illustration, not a quote or financial guarantee.
See where it started
Meet the idea
behind SolarSnap.
We built and presented the original phone-first SolarSnap concept at Google's 2026 Colorado Impact Hackathon. Watch the prototype video to see the direction we're taking.
Watch the demo on YouTubeOpens YouTube in a new tab. No video player or scripts are embedded on this page.
☀ SolarSnap
Scan your space
Three photos. Computer vision finds the house, tracks it, and measures each side.
Scan your space
↗ Original prototype presentation
Good questions
Curious? Start here.
Do I need to own a house to use SolarSnap?
No. SolarSnap is being designed with renters and small outdoor spaces in mind. Whether a particular balcony or patio can accommodate a system depends on sunlight, mounting, safety, building rules, and other site-specific factors.
Can I just plug solar panels into any outlet?
Not necessarily. A safe, lawful plug-in solar installation depends on certified equipment, wiring and circuit conditions, utility rules, and local requirements. Do not connect equipment to household wiring unless its instructions and applicable requirements allow it; consult a qualified electrician where needed.
Will SolarSnap tell me exactly what to buy?
That is part of the planned experience: after a suitability and sizing assessment, SolarSnap aims to suggest compatible products and provide practical information to help you make an informed decision. Product recommendations are not available on this landing page yet.
Is SolarSnap already available?
SolarSnap began as an award-winning hackathon prototype. The assessment, product recommendations, and setup journey described here are our product direction and are still being developed. You can watch the original prototype demo today.
Will a kit power my home during an outage?
A standard grid-interactive plug-in solar kit generally should not be assumed to provide backup power during an outage. Outage backup typically requires appropriately designed equipment and storage. SolarSnap will help distinguish bill-saving solar from backup-power setups.
Make room for sunshine
Solar starts where you are.
No rooftop? No problem exploring your options. See how SolarSnap is working to make small-space solar more approachable.
Explore the prototype