Palmetto Enables Developers to Advance U.S. Electrification with AI-Driven Building Models

For homeowners considering solar panels, the key question is often “How many?” For heat pumps, it’s “What size?” Traditionally, answering these required an on-site visit from a contractor.

Over the past decade, solar installers have streamlined this process, with some, like Tesla, eliminating it entirely through software that integrates various data sources to determine a home’s solar needs.

Palmetto’s Push Into Home Electrification

Palmetto, like many solar companies, developed its own assessment tool based on software acquired from Mapdwell, a solar mapping startup. However, as residential solar growth slows, the company has expanded into other electrification projects, such as backup batteries and heat pumps. Developing software for these, which exist inside homes where satellite imagery is ineffective, presents a challenge.

To address this, Palmetto is creating a virtual model of every U.S. residential building. According to its president of energy intelligence, Michael Bratsafolis, the company is essentially generating “digital twins” of the entire U.S. housing stock.

This tool leverages both public and private data, using AI to fill in gaps. For instance, if a home was built in the 1950s, the AI assumes it likely has 2×4 exterior walls, limiting insulation capacity.

Bratsafolis explained that this technology can analyze a home by identifying over 60 distinct characteristics and attributes.

To validate its models, Palmetto leverages data from homes that have purchased or leased its solar panels.

“This allows us to anonymize real home data, compare it against model predictions, and further refine the system,” Bratsafolis explained.

Palmetto has also opened the tool to external developers, a decision influenced by Bratsafolis’ experience at Twilio.

“I come from a developer-driven background, using a microservices approach to provide API building blocks that empower partners and developers,” he said.

Free Tier and Custom Pricing for Developers

Developers receive 500 free API calls per month, with additional calls costing five cents each. For larger clients, Palmetto is open to customized pricing agreements.

Bratsafolis hopes developers will create tools that accelerate U.S. building electrification while also providing Palmetto with early insights into market trends. “You don’t always know what the use cases will be, but with an API product, you gain invaluable data on demand and market direction,” he noted.

Read the original article on: TechCrunch

Read more: Wine Growers at Africa’s Tip Adapt to Climate Change