Google chooses Zaragoza to lead AI and emissions reduction projects

Google has chosen Zaragoza to promote the emissions reduction project  known as “Rooftop Solar Potential”. The technology company will use its innovative tools and  Artificial Intelligence  to provide data on the  city’s rooftops  where  solar panels can be placed  to generate  clean energy  and obtain  environmental benefits.

Zaragoza City Council has agreed with Google to promote this project. The company’s  vice president of Public Policies, Cris Turner, has held a working meeting with the mayor, Natalia Chueca, to whom he explained that they can analyze the solar potential of the city, using a  technology that calculates how much  sunlight  each building receives during the day.

With this data, Google offers recommendations for the optimal location of solar panels, enabling energy savings.

The Mayor of Zaragoza, Natalia Chueca, has highlighted that this agreement places Zaragoza within a small group of cities in the world that benefit from this program based on Big Data and Generative AI.

The City Council also wants to take advantage of the contribution that  Google’s presence in the city can generate and will also promote a training program in Generative Artificial Intelligence next year, which the Council wants to locate in Etopia.

HOW DOES ROOFTOP SOLAR POTENTIAL WORK?

Google builds high-resolution 3D models of individual rooftops from aerial imagery and calculates how much sunlight each building might receive during the day. Based on this information, it offers recommendations for optimal solar panel placement, potential energy savings, and more.

Turner said: “The  spirit of Zaragoza fuels its ambition to be at the forefront of innovation and digital transformation in Spain. With its  vibrant community, Zaragoza is a leading example of how the link between  technology  and sustainability can be an important driver of economic growth and improved quality of life .”

In this way, Zaragoza joins this global city action on its way to becoming a climate-neutral city, as London, Mexico City or Yokohama have already done, or the success story in  Houston.

In this North American city, solar energy data has been used to design a plan that includes the generation of 5 million Mwh as part of its climate action strategy. The result has been improved access to energy sources, reduced costs for residents and the  creation of jobs.

The Mayor of Zaragoza has anticipated some  advantages: “These data will allow us to better segment our decisions, as well as improve the selection and management of aid and resources that are granted, for example, through Zaragoza Vivienda .”