Google Sketch Up--Design your own home...

Options
BB.
BB. Super Moderators, Administrators Posts: 33,439 admin
in Solar Information links & sources, event announcements #1
A couple in Tennessee used Google Schetch Up to design their own home.

I know a few people here already use it--Need to take a look at it and figure out how to run it.

-Bill
Near San Francisco California: 3.5kWatt Grid Tied Solar power system+small backup genset
· Share on Twitter

Comments

  • Cariboocoot
    Cariboocoot Banned Posts: 17,615 ✭✭✭
    #2
    Options
    Re: Google Sketch Up--Design your own home...

    I've used it for years. If you're patient you can do fairly detailed drawings. It is not like a real CAD program; it lacks certain "advanced" features like snap-to-grid and layers. But you can do some good DIY plans with it.

    Haven't used the latest version, but here's a "sketch-up" of proposed cabin enhancements:
    http://kaleidopsyche.deviantart.com/gallery/?offset=240#/d1wromm
    · Share on Twitter
  • stephendv
    stephendv Solar Expert Posts: 1,571 ✭✭
    #3
    Options
    Re: Google Sketch Up--Design your own home...

    A great feature is that once you tell it the location of your sketch, it can model the shadows for anytime in the year. Nice for working out overhangs over windows or exactly where to mount those PV panels.
    · Share on Twitter
  • westbranch
    westbranch Solar Expert Posts: 5,183 ✭✭✭✭
    #4
    Options
    Re: Google Sketch Up--Design your own home...

    You can also use Google Earth and look at the exact site and have it 'cast' the shadows over the whole day.

    Did it for our cabin site and it is amazingly accurate.
     
    KID #51B  4s 140W to 24V 900Ah C&D AGM
    CL#29032 FW 2126/ 2073/ 2133 175A E-Panel WBjr, 3 x 4s 140W to 24V 900Ah C&D AGM 
    Cotek ST1500W 24V Inverter,OmniCharge 3024,
    2 x Cisco WRT54GL i/c DD-WRT Rtr & Bridge,
    Eu3/2/1000i Gens, 1680W & E-Panel/WBjr to come, CL #647 asleep
    West Chilcotin, BC, Canada
    · Share on Twitter
  • russ
    russ Solar Expert Posts: 593 ✭✭
    #5
    Options
    Re: Google Sketch Up--Design your own home...

    I guess if you live in the US google is accurate enough for that type of thing - here it is kind of a general reference.
    · Share on Twitter
  • AntronX
    AntronX Solar Expert Posts: 462 ✭✭
    #6
    Options
    Re: Google Sketch Up--Design your own home...

    Great article. A while ago I used SketchUp to draw solar panels on my house.
    · Share on Twitter
  • niel
    niel Solar Expert Posts: 10,300 ✭✭✭✭
    #7
    Options
    Re: Google Sketch Up--Design your own home...

    as to google earth i can't get the time of day slider to appear from street view as this is needed for detail as the newer versions zoom to street view rather than focus on to the roof tops. i also find that there is not an early morning shadow being cast from trees to my east. this is not a good indicator as to what will actually be.
    · Share on Twitter
  • mr.radon
    mr.radon Solar Expert Posts: 158 ✭✭✭✭✭
    #8
    Options
    Re: Google Sketch Up--Design your own home...

    I did my house awhile back, even put it in Google Earth. I was abvle to also sketch in my trees to the east. The shadow was only off by about 8" from where sketchup calculated it would be.
    Wonderful program.
    If you pay for the full features you have all the bells and whistles. however, it is expensive.

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JsbKqr_SPrE
    · Share on Twitter
  • MichiganOffGrid
    MichiganOffGrid Registered Users Posts: 11 ✭
    #9
    Options
    Re: Google Sketch Up--Design your own home...

    I've been using SketchUp to draw the framing plan of my cabin. It is a very easy program to use. The best resource that I have found to learn how to use it has been youtube. There are a lot of good how-to videos on there.
    · Share on Twitter

Categories