Off-grid solar calculator

Where will your system be?

We'll fetch two years of real weather for that exact spot.

Tap the map where your system will be. You can also draw your roof (optional) with the button on the map: it gives its direction.

Drag the orange dots onto the corners of your roof.

Pick the location first.

What do you want to power?

Pick what looks most like your project. You can adjust the list.

See or edit the list: 0 kWh per day

	Appliance	Watts	h/day	kWh/d

When do you go?

Every day Weekends only

Where do your panels go?

Roof pitch

If you don't know, leave 6/12: it's the most common pitch.

My panels are on tilting mounts (I turn them toward the south when I'm parked) Panel height

m above ground

Is there shade on your panels?

Trees or buildings casting shade?

Click a button, then the map as many times as there are trees; click “Done” when you're finished. A tree counts as 15 m tall and a building 6 m; you can fix the height afterwards.

Obstacle	Height (m)	Distance

See the sun path and shadows, hour by hour

Sunrise Sunset Sun at the chosen time Obstacle shadows

Advanced settings (angle, orientation)

Pick the best tilt for the months I use it Adjustable mount (I change the angle twice a year) Tilt

Orientation

Draw the roof on the map: the orientation comes from the longest side.

A ground mount can face wherever you want: due south (180°) is almost always best.

Vertical panels: weak in summer, but excellent in winter, because snow doesn't stay on them and snow on the ground reflects light.

Laid flat, orientation doesn't matter, so a trailer can park any which way. But snow stays on the panels in winter: the tool counts a big loss on freezing days.

Shade

Choose your system

The bigger the system, the less the generator runs. Here are sizes calculated for your project with real weather.

Panel type Panels

Battery type Batteries

Technology

Wind turbine

Power Tower height

Surrounding terrain

A small turbine surrounded by trees often makes far less than its spec sheet. The tool accounts for height and terrain, but stays optimistic in the woods.

Generator and prices

Fuel Generator power Fuel price per litre ($) Price of the chosen panel ($) Price of the chosen battery ($) Inverter, controller, wiring, mounts ($) Generator upkeep, per hour ($) Wind turbine, per watt ($)

Approximate prices for self-installed equipment. If you don't know, leave them as is; otherwise, enter the ones from your quotes.

Results

Your year

☀ the sun is enough 2× generator starts — you're not there

The sun on your panels

Play the day with ▶ to watch the sun move around your system and the tree shadows shift.

This link keeps the location, your appliances and your system. It shows where your system is on the map: only send it to people you trust.

By email By text

Cost breakdown

Production month by month (in kWh)

Solar used Wind used Generator Generator starts

A kWh is the electricity you use, like on a power bill.

More details

—of fuel saved thanks to solar

—generator hours per year

—payback, compared with the generator alone

What if you put your panels somewhere else?

Off-grid calculator