Systems and method for determining solar panel placement and energy output

1. A system for determining solar panel placement and corresponding energy output, comprising:

a computing device; and

a server configured to be coupled to the computing device via a network and including circuitry configured to

receive a request from a computing device for energy production information for each solar panel type and for each array of solar panels, wherein the request includes installation location information corresponding to an installation location, and

transmit the energy production information for the solar panel in each array to the computing device,

wherein the computing device includes circuitry configured to:

store a maximum solar panel design including a maximum number of solar panels that can be installed at the installation location in a predetermined layout,

store the energy production information, and, without making additional requests to the server,

receive one or more of a selection and deselection of one or more solar panels and one or more solar panel arrays of the maximum solar panel design, and

determine a solar panel installation design based on solar panel placement at the installation location, the one or more of the selection and deselection of the one or more solar panels and one or more solar panel arrays, and an energy production estimate based on the stored energy production information,

wherein, in determining energy production information for each solar panel type and for each array of solar panels, the circuitry is further configured to

receive the installation location information,

determine the maximum solar panel design, wherein the maximum solar panel design is a predetermined number of solar panels placed on each section of a roof of the installation location, and the predetermined number of solar panels placed on each section of the roof comprises a solar panel array,

request energy production for a one panel system of one or more solar panel types for each solar panel array,

receive energy production information for each request, wherein the number of requests is based on the number of solar panel arrays and a number of types of solar panels, and

locally store the energy production information for each solar panel type for each solar panel array.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the installation location information includes weather, latitude/longitude, tilt, azimuth, shading, insolation, soiling, and local fire codes.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the circuitry of the computing device is further configured to

dynamically display energy production and energy offset in real time based on one or more of the selection and deselection of the one or more solar panels and one or more solar panel arrays,

determine if the solar panel installation design is complete, and

store the completed solar panel installation design when the solar panel installation design is complete.

4. The system of claim 3 , wherein the solar panel installation design is a subset of one or more solar panels and one or more solar panel arrays within the maximum solar panel design.

5. The system of claim 3 , wherein the energy production for each solar panel array is calculated based on an average solar panel energy production for one solar panel belonging to that solar panel array multiplied by a number of selected solar panels in that solar panel array.

6. The system of claim 5 , wherein total energy production is based on a sum of energy production for each solar panel array:

S 1 A 1 +S 2 A 2 + . . . +S n A n =E Total

where S is equal to the number of selected solar panels in an array, A is equal to the average solar panel energy production for that array, and E Total is equal to the total energy production of all the selected solar panels.

7. A method for determining solar panel placement and corresponding energy output, comprising:

receiving, at a server, a request from a computing device for energy production information for each solar panel type and for each array of solar panels, wherein the request includes installation location information corresponding to an installation location;

transmitting, from the server, the energy production information for the solar panel in each array to the computing device;

storing, at the computing device, store a maximum solar panel design including a maximum number of solar panels that can be installed at the installation location in a predetermined layout;

storing, at the computing device, the energy production information for the solar panel in each array;

receiving, at the computing device, one or more of a selection and deselection of one or more solar panels and one or more solar panel arrays of the maximum solar panel design; and

determining, at the computing device and without additional requests to the server, a solar panel installation design based on solar panel placement at the installation location, the one or more of the selection and deselection of the one or more solar panels and one or more solar panel arrays, and an energy production estimate,

wherein determining energy production information for each solar panel type and for each array of solar panels includes

receiving the installation location information at the computing device;

determining, by the computing device, the maximum solar panel design, wherein the maximum solar panel design is a predetermined number of solar panels placed on each section of a roof of the installation location, the predetermined number of solar panels placed on each section of the roof comprises a solar panel array;

requesting, by the computing device, energy production for a one panel system of one or more solar panel types for each solar panel array;

receiving, at the computing device, energy production information for each request, wherein the number of requests is based on the number of solar panel arrays and the number of types of solar panels; and

locally storing, at the computing device, the energy production information for each solar panel type for each solar panel array.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein the installation location information includes weather, latitude/longitude, tilt, azimuth, shading, insolation, soiling, and local fire codes.

9. The method of claim 7 , further comprising:

dynamically displaying, on a display of the computing device, energy production and energy offset in real time based on one or more of the selection and deselection of the one or more solar panels and one or more solar panel arrays;

determining, at the computing device, if the solar panel installation design is complete; and

storing, at the computing device, the completed solar panel installation design when the solar panel installation design is complete.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein the solar panel installation design is a subset of one or more solar panels and one or more solar panel arrays within the maximum solar panel design.

11. The method of claim 9 , wherein the energy production for each solar panel array is calculated based on an average solar panel energy production for one solar panel belonging to that solar panel array multiplied by a number of selected solar panels in that solar panel array.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein total energy production is based on a sum of the energy production for each solar panel array

S 1 A 1 +S 2 A 2 + . . . +S n A n =E Total

where S is equal to the number of selected solar panels in an array, A is equal to the average solar panel energy production for that array, and E Total is equal to the total energy production of all the selected solar panels.

13. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium that stores instructions that, when executed by a computer, causes the computer to perform a method comprising:

receiving, at a server, a request from a computing device for energy production information for each solar panel type and for each array of solar panels, wherein the request includes installation location information corresponding to an installation location;

transmitting, from the server, the energy production information for the solar panel in each array to the computing device;

storing, at the computing device, store a maximum solar panel design including a maximum number of solar panels that can be installed at the installation location in a predetermined layout;

storing, at the computing device, the energy production information for the solar panel in each array;

receiving, at the computing device, one or more of a selection and deselection of one or more solar panels and one or more solar panel arrays of the maximum solar panel design; and

determining, at the computing device and without additional requests to the server, a solar panel installation design based on solar panel placement at the installation location, the one or more of the selection and deselection of the one or more solar panels and one or more solar panel arrays, and an energy production estimate,

wherein determining energy production information for each solar panel type and for each array of solar panels includes

receiving the installation location information;

determining the maximum solar panel design, wherein the maximum solar panel design is a predetermined number of solar panels placed on each section of a roof of the installation location, wherein the predetermined number of solar panels placed on each section of the roof is a solar panel array;

requesting energy production for a one panel system of one or more solar panel types for each solar panel array;

receiving energy production information for each request, wherein the number of requests is based on the number of solar panel arrays and the number of types of solar panels; and

locally storing, at the computing device, the energy production information for each solar panel type for each solar panel array.

14. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 13 , wherein the installation location information includes weather, latitude/longitude, tilt, azimuth, shading, insolation, soiling, and local fire codes.

15. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 13 , wherein determining the solar panel installation a design based on the installation location a point of sale calculation includes

dynamically displaying energy production and energy offset in real time based on one or more of the selection and deselection of the one or more solar panels and one or more solar panel arrays;

determining if the solar panel installation design is complete, wherein the solar panel installation design is a preferred selection of one or more solar panels and one or more solar panel arrays within the maximum solar panel design; and

storing the completed solar panel installation design when the solar panel installation design is complete.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 15 , wherein the energy production for each solar panel array is calculated based on an average solar panel energy production for one solar panel belonging to that solar panel array multiplied by a number of selected solar panels in that solar panel array.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 16 , wherein total energy production is based on a sum of the energy production for each solar panel array

S 1 A 1 +S 2 A 2 + . . . +=E Total

where S is equal to the number of selected solar panels in an array, A is equal to the average solar panel energy production for that array, and E Total is equal to the total energy production of all the selected solar panels.