- The 'Sun Numbers' that now appear on many Zillow property details pages are supposed to capture a property's solar power potential.
Part of a real estate agent‘s job is to highlight a home’s selling points.
Now Zillow is shining a light on one property perk that professionals may sometimes overlook: a home’s solar power potential.
The listing portal has tacked on “Sun Numbers” to property detail pages for more than 40 million buildings.
Sun Numbers now appear under the “facts” section of Zillow property details pages.
The 0 through 100 scores — which now appear under the “Facts” section of Zillow property pages — show how solar-friendly a building is based on factors including regional climate, daily sun exposure and foliage coverage from nearby trees.
The higher the score, the better suited a home is to solar panels. User can click the question mark next to a property’s “Sun Number” to view a full breakdown of a score.
“In the past, getting an accurate solar assessment for your home required a visit from a solar professional who would spend half a day up on your roof,” said David Herrmann, a co-founder of Sun Number, which provides the scores to Zillow.
“But the technology we use makes that immediately accessible just by typing your address into Zillow’s website and looking for the Sun Number score.”
The Sun Numbers reveal that properties in many regions, including markets in the Pacific Northwest, North and Northeast with harsh winters, are more solar-friendly than you might think.
“Many users who never thought their region was a candidate for solar panels will be pleasantly surprised to find out that their house is well suited for renewable energy and they can save a lot on traditional utility bills in the process,” said Chief Marketing Officer Jeremy Wacksman in a statement.
