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  • 1.  🌱Neighborhood Solar Potential Assessment Tools for Citizens and Professionals

    Posted 01-07-2024 12:17 PM
    Edited by Elias Oue 01-09-2024 04:26 AM

    🌞 Unlock Solar Potential with Ease! ☀️

    Whether you're a homeowner curious about rooftop solar or a seasoned PV professional, quick assessments are now at your fingertips! Explore the online tools below for swift evaluations of solar PV potential in buildings or open spaces.

    🚀 Efficiency for Professionals - Embrace Open Source! 💼

    For PV pros, cutting-edge open-source tools offer a game-changing advantage. Ideal for new entrants aiming to minimize startup costs, these tools streamline the entire project lifecycle - from site assessment and design proposals to maintenance. Elevate your solar projects with these powerful resources! 

     

    1- Global Solar Atlas🌞🌐: Click on the map to discover location-specific solar PV energy output in kWh/kWp/Year. Check system yield for different mounting structures, including residential, commercial, and ground mount options.

    https://globalsolaratlas.info/map?c=21.695199,-59.238281,3&s=38.41698,-120.410156&m=site

    2-OpenSolar 🌐🔧: a free software empowering PV professionals to streamline the entire project delivery process. Seamlessly match with financing providers in select regions.

    https://www.opensolar.com/

    3- Google Solar API 🌐🔍: Ideal for professionals seeking leads by evaluating solar potential at various locations, including rooftops without solar and parking lots.

    https://developers.google.com/maps/documentation/solar/overview

    4-PVGIS 🌞🌐: similar to the Global Solar Atlas, it enables the assessment of PV performance at a specific location for various designs (off-grid, on-grid, fixed, tracking).

    https://re.jrc.ec.europa.eu/pvg_tools/en/

    5- Pen and paper ✍️🌞!, or keyboard and screen nowadays !

    6-PVWatts. A user-friendly tool that provides in few clicks the monthly solar energy output given the location address. Detailed modeling is also possible for those looking to move to a more complete feasibility analysis.

    https://pvwatts.nrel.gov/pvwatts.php



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    Elias OUEDRAOGO
    Business Developer
    Future Energy Company
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  • 2.  RE: 🌱Neighborhood Solar Potential Assessment Tools for Citizens and Professionals

    ASES Life Member
    Posted 01-08-2024 02:10 PM

    Elias,

        You probably know about PVWatts, also. I wouldn't be surprised if the tools you listed incorporate PVWatts for their calculations. The thing I like about PVWatts is that it is so simple - just pick a location and enter a few inputs.

    Best,

    Keith



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    M Keith Sharp
    Emeritus Professor
    Louisville KY
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  • 3.  RE: 🌱Neighborhood Solar Potential Assessment Tools for Citizens and Professionals

    Posted 01-09-2024 04:22 AM

    Thank you Prof. Keith for including PVWatts in the list. 

    This is really a user-friendly tool, .....just write the location address, and in 1-2 clicks, it provides how many kilowatt-hours of energy the default solar PV system will produce monthly. Thanks.



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    Elias OUEDRAOGO
    Business Developer
    Future Energy Company
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    Original Message


  • 4.  RE: 🌱Neighborhood Solar Potential Assessment Tools for Citizens and Professionals

    Silver
    Contributor
    Posted 01-09-2024 09:40 AM

    Now, if we can just get 95% of the USA public to know the difference between a KW and a KWH, we might be able to make better progress./s

    When I run into people and solar comes up, I always ask, "DO you know how many KW's your roof array is?" Unfortunately, the vast majority do not know. They just know their elect bill went down..... go figure....



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    william fitch
    Owner
    www.WeAreSolar.com
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    Original Message


  • 5.  RE: 🌱Neighborhood Solar Potential Assessment Tools for Citizens and Professionals

    Posted 01-09-2024 02:00 PM

    That was expected, …. with centralized utility, people just receive power wire at home, so they are completely disconnected from the basic understanding of how power is generated and the units involved in the system. Solar panels with batteries are going to change that, it just requires time.

    While I'm unsure if this would be a good idea, perhaps using non-standard units such as $/month/m2 to quantify the roof value could engage the general public more with PV systems. 

    Let's consider a scenario: in a state with an average electricity rate of 0.1$/kWh, 1000 W panels with a surface area of 5.6m2 typically producing 1200 kWh a year, result in $120 savings annually or $10 per month. This translates to a solar potential of 1.78$/month/m2 (10$/5.6m2), rounded to 2$/month/m2 for simplicity.

    We could communicate to individuals that in their specific location, they can save $2 per month for every square meter of roof. For example, if they have 50m2, they could save $100/month.

    If the electricity rate is double at 0.2$/kWh in another state with similar insolation, the potential savings there become 4$/month/m2 or $200/month for a 50 m2 roof.

    Talking about money and roof space instead of kilowatts may get people to picture quickly the size / value of their PV system.



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    Elias OUEDRAOGO
    Business Developer
    Future Energy Company
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    Original Message