There's a new online tool for anyone who's wondered if solar panels are a good investment for their property.
The OKI Regional Council of Governments has surveyed buildings across the area to see which are best for installing solar panels. Planning Manager Travis Miller says the information is all online.
"It gives the total area of the rooftop, the usable roof area for solar panels, the most ideal solar array placement. And it calculates what potential energy production would be based on the size of the array. And then it also calculates what the annual savings would be in terms of the energy cost."
Miller says the project began as a tool for community planners and development directors. He says they expanded the project as more people started looking into getting solar panels.
"We realized having a tool like this where anyone who was interested can come in and learn more about it and specifically learn about how it would impact their own home, their own rooftop."
Miller says OKI's solar ready initiative started about two years ago. Compiling data for the map took about six months. He says the effort received input from solar installers and other stakeholders.
