Sun calculator is helping Australians forecast charge financial savings of panels and batteries

A brand new model of UNSW’s SunSPOT photo voltaic calculator now covers all of Australia and permits families, small companies and councils to procure impartial photo voltaic and battery financial savings estimates.

A newly up to date model of SunSPOT has been introduced to lend a hand shoppers and companies calculate the solar energy attainable in their rooftops.

The on-line software, evolved by means of the Australian PV Institute (APVI) and UNSW Sydney, had in the past been to be had handiest in a small choice of places in New South Wales.

With strengthen from the Australian Executive, it now works for places around the nation and is derived with vital upgrades, extra correct estimates, a brand new user-friendly interface, and a model this is freely to be had with no council subscription.

“Learning how a lot you’ll save with a battery, or what dimension photo voltaic gadget can have compatibility to your roof, or getting estimates on the most productive gadget dimension to your electrical energy utilization hasn’t ever been more practical or more secure,” says Dr. Anna Bruce, SunSPOT Mission Chief and Affiliate Professor of Renewable Power Engineering at UNSW.

“SunSPOT V3 has been constructed by means of engineers at UNSW’s global main Faculty of Photovoltaic and Renewable Power Engineering particularly to lend a hand other people perceive what photo voltaic can do for them—to not promote photo voltaic.

“It is the handiest impartial device with this stage of research to be had to the general public in Australia. All different photo voltaic calculators search to seize private data and generate gross sales leads.

“Now, with national supply and enhancements to its usability and accuracy, SunSPOT will have the ability to lend a hand nearly all of Australians expectantly navigate the complicated photo voltaic marketplace.”

Answering questions on photo voltaic and batteries

Earlier variations of APVI’s flagship device have handiest been to be had in spaces the place there’s spatial mapping LiDAR information to be had and the native council has taken up a subscription. Now, with the strengthen of the Australian Executive, a “same old” model of the device that doesn’t require LiDAR information has been launched and can be utilized free of charge, all over the place.

Dr. Mike Roberts, SunSPOT Mission Chief and Senior Analysis Affiliate within the Faculty for Photovoltaic and Renewable Power Engineering at UNSW says, “Homeowners now not want to rely on salespeople to coach them. With this newest model of SunSPOT, everybody can get dependable, adapted solutions to not unusual questions on photo voltaic and batteries.”

In two mins, SunSPOT customers can in finding out what gadget dimension will give them the most productive go back on their funding and get an estimate of the price and annual financial savings.

They may be able to additionally examine the prices and annual financial savings with other battery sizes, answering the query in everybody’s heads: “Will have to I am getting a battery?”

Dr. Roberts says, “The APVI has discovered that Australia has the possible to put in 179 GW of rooftop photo voltaic capability—however to this point now we have put in not up to 10 p.c of that.

“179 GW of photo voltaic would generate extra electrical energy once a year than the whole present annual electrical energy intake within the nationwide electrical energy marketplace.

“Rooftop photo voltaic has a number one phase to play in decreasing Australia’s emissions.”

SunSPOT’s suave mapping device permits customers to tug and drop scaled teams of panels onto their roof so they are able to see what number of panels will have compatibility and the place they are able to pass.

Figuring out easiest location for panels

There are two variations of SunSPOT to be had: the top class model that comes to mapping the realm with LiDAR information and is paid for thru a subscription by means of the native council, and the usual model this is to be had to everybody, all over the place with out the council subscribing.

The top class subscription-based model of SunSPOT identifies the most productive spaces for photo voltaic panels with crimson dots at the rooftops.

Spatial mapping LiDAR information permits it to learn the form, slope and orientation of the rooftop. It could actually additionally estimate the volume of shading around the 12 months on each and every 0.25 m² house at the roof, and the have an effect on this has on invoice financial savings. That is mixed with Bureau of Meteorology climate information for the native house.

Customers of each variations can upload their sensible meter information and electrical energy price lists for much more correct estimates.