SolarIQ

SolarIQ addresses a critical gap in renewable energy adoption by making professional-grade solar planning accessible to everyone. Currently, detailed solar assessments require expensive consultations or complex software that most homeowners and businesses cannot access. My idea was to create a comprehensive, free platform that democratizes solar energy planning through intelligent automation and real-world data integration. The platform integrates NASA's Power API with sophisticated calculation algorithms to provide location-specific solar analysis. Rather than using generic estimates, SolarIQ pulls actual satellite-measured solar irradiance data for any global coordinate, ensuring calculations reflect real environmental conditions with professional accuracy. The application uses Flask architecture, embedding HTML, CSS, and JavaScript within Python. The backend performs complex calculations including solar panel sizing based on appliance consumption patterns, tilt angle optimization, financial modeling with ROI analysis, environmental impact quantification, and 25-year degradation modeling. Users input specific appliances with wattage and usage hours, creating personalized consumption profiles rather than relying on averages. This granular approach improves accuracy significantly. NASA integration provides actual irradiance measurements, accounting for local climate patterns that generic calculators miss. Comprehensive cost analysis includes equipment, installation, and maintenance considerations. The platform calculates payback periods, lifetime savings, and compares different system sizes. Environmental impact calculations demonstrate benefits through concrete metrics like CO2 reduction potential. SolarIQ removes barriers to solar adoption by providing accurate, comprehensive planning resources for free, accelerating renewable energy adoption while helping users make informed financial decisions.