Otovo acquires Sunmapper technology

(Oslo): Otovo has acquired Sunmapper’s Photovoltaic Irradiation and Surface Calculation software - Sunmapper PISC - including IP transfer with perpetual and universal usage rights, for an undisclosed amount.

The technology enables Otovo to ingest 3D surface point clouds generated with laser imaging (LiDAR), satellite imagery and stereographic reconstructed models, returning solar irradiation and individual roof surfaces for PV planning.

Sunmapper's shading simulation identifies buildings and shade from objects and terrain. Coupled with Otovo's cost modelling and installer platform capabilities it makes for a powerful tool to sell rooftop solar systems to private homeowners in a simple way. Illustration: Sunmapper.

Sunmapper’s technology was developed based on research from universities in Australia, USA and China and in cooperation with several Danish municipalities from 2015 onward.

The technology has since been in use on sunmapper.dk, a service where Danes can browse rooftops on every building in the country and get results on how much solar power can be produced there.

- We are always looking for ways to give our customers an easier journey, so we are proud to add these advanced capabilities to our tech stack. With Sunmapper PISC we will be able to give European homeowners the absolutely simplest way to go solar, including really precise results tailored specifically to the shape and shades on their roof, says Simen F. Jørgensen, CPO at Otovo.

Looking to grow

Otovo is a Norway based solar technology and sales platform focused on the residential market in Europe. The company is the leading cross-Scandinavian supplier of rooftop solar systems to homeowners and operates a network of installers across the region. Otovo’s mission is to make every homeowner capable of making and storing her own clean and cheap energy.

- It has always been our vision to simplify the purchase decision in solar for residential households and accelerate the transition towards a more sustainable future. I am proud to hand over the many hours of work we’ve put into our software to a great company like Otovo. With Otovo and their platform, the Sunstyle PISC software will be able to contribute to a substantial number of new solar energy instalments, says Maxim Khomiakov, CEO at Sunmapper.

- At present we cover roughly 8 million buildings in Scandinavia with this technology and available datasets. These figures may very quickly be expanded for global coverage, says Khomiakov.

Otovo was started in 2016 by software entrepreneur Simen Jørgensen, Schibsted executive Andreas Thorsheim, Circle K and Statoil F&R executive Lars Syse Christiansen and the former REC technology director Andreas Bentzen. The company has raised approximately NOK 100m in funding to date in rounds led by Agder Energi Ventures and Akershus Energi.