Solar Energy Sizer

The Solar Energy Sizer is a comprehensive tool for estimating the energy yield, efficiency, and number of solar cells required for a solar energy system. This Python-based(Flask) application is particularly useful for individuals and professionals planning or optimizing solar energy installations.

Features

• Optical Properties Calculation: Calculates reflectance, transmittance, and absorbance of a solar module.
• Photovoltaic Properties Calculation: Computes short-circuit current density (Jsc), open-circuit voltage (Voc), fill factor (FF), and power conversion efficiency (η).
• Energy Yield Calculation: Determines the energy yield based on solar irradiance, efficiency, area, and time parameters.
• Load Calculation: Calculates the total load from various appliances and determines the number of solar cells required to meet the energy demand.
• User-Friendly Interface: Provides an intuitive UI for entering inputs and displaying the calculated results.

Getting Started

Prerequisites

Make sure you have the following installed:

• Python 3.9
• Flask 3.0.3

Installation

1. Clone the repository:

   git clone https://github.com/your-username/solar-energy-calculator.git
   cd solar-energy-calculator

2. Create a virtual environment (optional but recommended):

   python3 -m venv venv
   source env/bin/activate  # On Windows use `env\Scripts\activate`

3. Install dependencies:

   pip install -r requirements.txt

Running the Application

1. Set the Flask environment:

   export FLASK_APP=app.py
   export FLASK_ENV=development

   On Windows, use:

   set FLASK_APP=app.py
   set FLASK_ENV=development

2. Run the Flask application:

   flask run
   
   # For hot reloading
   flask --debug run

3. Access the application:

   Open your browser and go to http://127.0.0.1:5000/.

Project Structure

solar-energy-calculator/
│
├── app.py               # Main application file containing Flask routes
├── calculations.py      # Contains all the calculation functions
├── templates/           # HTML templates
│   ├── index.html       # Main form for user input
│   └── result.html      # Display calculation results
├── static/
│   ├── style.css        # Stylesheet for the application
│   └── script.js        # JavaScript for the application (if needed)
├── requirements.txt     # Python dependencies
└── README.md            # Project documentation