Your projects, your choices

Privacy Policy

Effective October 24, 2026

SolarTinker provides browser-based tools for exploring solar layouts, shade and energy. This policy explains how SolarTinker at solartinker.com handles information when you use the website, its tools and optional Google Drive project storage. Contact us at [email protected] about privacy or support.

Projects on your device

Scene calculations and editing run in your browser. Project data can include panel and equipment settings, positions, wiring, trees, load schedules, costs, dates, weather assumptions and a selected approximate location. Local downloads are files on your device; opening a local file loads it into the browser. SolarTinker does not send these project files to a SolarTinker application database.

Labs stores your preferred measurement unit in browser local storage. Its current scene and undo history are held in the page session; download a file or save a cloud copy to keep a project. Clearing site data removes the stored unit preference. Project files you downloaded remain until you remove them from your device.

Optional Google connection and cloud copies

Opening the Projects dialog loads Google Identity Services when Google connection is configured. Connecting sends you through Google's account and permission flow. SolarTinker does not receive your Google password. It uses a short-lived access token to make requests to Google Drive and reads the connected account's email address and display name to identify the account in the interface. This account information is not added to project files or saved in browser storage.

When you choose Save a new cloud copy, the project name and current project data—including any saved approximate latitude, longitude and place label—are sent directly from your browser to Google Drive. The copy is stored in the hidden application-data folder for SolarTinker in your Google account. Each save creates a new copy. SolarTinker lists the names and dates of these copies and downloads a selected copy when you open it.

The permission used is https://www.googleapis.com/auth/drive.appdata. It allows management of SolarTinker's own configuration data. The current interface creates, lists and opens copies; it does not overwrite or delete earlier copies. This permission does not give SolarTinker access to your other Drive documents, photos, contacts or Gmail. Copies in this folder are opened through SolarTinker and cannot be shared as ordinary Drive files.

Google account information and cloud project data are used to provide the connection and project save/open features. SolarTinker does not sell this information, use it for advertising, or use it to train generalized AI models. SolarTinker's use and transfer of information received from Google APIs will adhere to the Google API Services User Data Policy, including the Limited Use requirements.

Disconnecting and deleting cloud data

The access token stays in page memory and is sent to Google API endpoints. Reloading the page or choosing Disconnect clears that local connection. Disconnecting does not delete cloud copies or revoke the permission stored in your Google account.

Cloud copies remain until you remove SolarTinker's application data through Google Drive's settings, subject to Google's account and storage policies. In Drive on the web, open Settings → Manage apps, locate SolarTinker, and use its options to delete hidden app data. To revoke access, visit your Google Account's third-party connections. Revoking access and deleting saved data are separate actions. SolarTinker has no server-side copy of these projects to delete on your behalf.

Product photos

Equipment cards load product photos from the supplier’s image host, including Signature Solar’s BigCommerce CDN and EG4 Electronics. The host receives ordinary connection information such as your IP address. SolarTinker requests these photos without sending a referring page address or project data. Opening a product link takes you to the supplier’s website.

Location search and maps

When you submit a place search, the entered text is sent to the Photon service operated by komoot. Map images are requested from OpenStreetMap's tile service. These providers receive ordinary connection information, such as your IP address, and the search text or requested map area. A nearby city is sufficient; avoid entering a private address. SolarTinker does not request your device's GPS location.

The approximate point and place label you apply become part of your project and are included in local downloads or cloud copies. Manually entering latitude is available without submitting a city search. See komoot's privacy policy and the OpenStreetMap Foundation privacy policy for their practices.

Videos, feedback and other external content

The homepage embeds YouTube videos. Opening Feedback loads a Google Form. Those services can receive connection information and use cookies or other storage under Google's privacy policy. Information you choose to submit in the feedback form or by email is received by SolarTinker to respond to you and improve the tools. Avoid sending passwords, private project details or other sensitive information in feedback.

If you add an externally hosted image URL in the classic Solar Schema tool, your browser requests that image from its host. External links and content are governed by the respective providers' privacy practices.

Website delivery and security

Hosting and network providers process requests needed to deliver and protect the website. These requests can include IP addresses, requested URLs, browser information and timestamps. Their handling and retention of operational logs are governed by their service settings and policies. SolarTinker does not run visitor analytics or advertising and does not build visitor profiles. External embeds and services can use their own cookies and logs.

Connections to the public website and configured Google and map services use HTTPS. No method of transmission or storage is completely secure. Keep local backups of projects you want to retain and protect access to your device and Google account.

Questions and policy changes

Contact [email protected] to ask about this policy or request deletion of feedback or support messages held by SolarTinker. We may need information to identify the relevant messages. Google-hosted project data is managed through your Google account as described above.

We will post changes to this policy here and update the effective date. If a change introduces a new use of Google data or additional permissions, the app will provide the relevant notice or request permission before that use.