How the model works, and where it stops.

Sunlight, geometry and shade

The viewer combines a solar path from latitude and date with cabin, RV or balcony geometry, panel orientation and sampled obstruction. Latitude is limited to −70° through +70°. The timeline uses solar time, not civil clock time or daylight-saving time.

Clear, hazy and overcast skies are illustrative direct/diffuse-light assumptions. Location selection supplies approximate location context; it does not import historical weather or survey the site. Trees use canopy, density and foliage approximations. Rendered shadows are visual aids and are not the electrical solver's measurements.

The Shade loss (%) overlay compares light on a panel with an unobstructed panel at the same time, orientation and sky. It describes optical loss, not power loss. Read the location and shade guide.

Electrical behavior and storage

Panels use a generic three-section circuit with sampled light and illustrative bypass behavior. Product ratings and dimensions do not establish the exact internal cell topology. Series/parallel mismatch and idealized optimizers help explain broad effects; named-product shade performance, hot spots and thermal damage are not validated.

Controller voltage, current and power constraints affect output. Missing ratings and cold-voltage information remain incomplete checks. Warning-free operation is not an installation approval. The plug-in path models one panel per independent input and a shared inverter ceiling; it excludes external optimizers and several real integrated-device features.

Storage uses simplified capacity, efficiency, starting charge and limits. Nominal 48 V is used for battery capacity conversion; it is not a claim about a selected product's actual battery voltage. Battery voltage curves, BMS behavior, surge and complete equipment protection are outside the model. Read plug-in system exclusions and panel circuit limitations.

Annual energy and money

Optional historical monthly cloud shares use Open-Meteo ERA5 data (CC BY 4.0) for a selected completed year. Days with mean daylight cloud cover of at least 80% are classified as overcast, then monthly fractions select the existing illustrative clear/overcast representative days. It does not replay historical irradiance, wind, temperature or precipitation. One selected year is not a long-term climate normal. This option requires an approximate map location and an explicit request; source details are retained with the project and annual report.

An annual estimate repeats one representative solar day per month across actual calendar days and carries stored energy between days. A selected sky can be used all year, or the clear/overcast option distributes whole overcast days through an assumed sequence. Neither is local weather history or a forecast of cloudy spells.

Savings use modeled solar self-consumption and the entered variable electricity rates and export policy. Initial stored battery energy is excluded from solar-derived savings. Off-grid mode has no utility bill offset. Fixed fees, detailed tariffs and all real meter behavior are not reproduced.

Simple payback requires positive modeled savings and a complete cost assumption. It is not a lifetime return calculation and omits financing, degradation, replacements, maintenance, incentives and future rate changes. The existing balcony worked example is useful only with its stated geometry, usage, weather and budget assumptions.

Use the result within its scope

These tools have not been validated for real-world accuracy or safety. No numerical accuracy percentage, field validation or manufacturer endorsement is claimed. Real equipment selection, mounting, structural suitability, wiring, protection and local connection requirements need qualified review.

The technical model notes include historical sections; later release notes and current in-app explanations qualify older descriptions. The help guide provides current workflows. Classic Solar Optimizer and Solar Schema remain separate original interfaces with their own assumptions; Labs project formats are not interchangeable with classic files.

The guides and help are ordinary HTML and can be read without WebGL. The 3D editor requires a compatible browser with JavaScript and WebGL. If it cannot start, the static guides and classic-tool links remain available.

About SolarTinker Labs & contact

SolarTinker Labs is an educational project by Jared Carey, in active development. The tagline is Catch the sun between the shadows.

For questions, corrections or a reproducible modeling issue, email [email protected]. Include the tool/version and the assumptions needed to reproduce the issue; avoid sending private addresses or account credentials. You can also use the existing training videos and homepage Feedback control.

See the Privacy Policy for optional connected services and project storage, and the Terms of Service for educational-use limitations.

Keep exploring

Classic Solar Optimizer · Solar Schema · Original training videos