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 the computing device for energy production information for one or more solar panels and one or more arrays of solar panels, wherein the request includes installation location information corresponding to an installation location, and

transmit the energy production information for the one or more solar panels and the one or more arrays of solar panels to the computing device,

wherein the computing device includes circuitry configured to:

store a predetermined solar panel layout for the installation location, the predetermined solar panel layout including a plurality of solar panels, the predetermined solar panel layout being fixed,

store the energy production information, and

without making additional requests to the server:

receive a selection and deselection of one or more solar panels less than all of the plurality of solar panels in the predetermined solar panel layout, and

determine a design for the installation location based on the selection and deselection of the one or more solar panels less than all of the plurality of solar panels in the predetermined solar panel layout and an energy production estimate based on the stored energy production information.

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

receive the installation location information,

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

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

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

4. The system of claim 2 , 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 less than all of the plurality of solar panels in the predetermined solar panel layout,

determine if the design for the installation location is complete, and

store the completed design for the installation location when the design for the installation location is complete.

5. The system of claim 4 , wherein the design is a subset of one or more solar panels and one or more solar panel arrays within the predetermined solar panel layout.

6. The system of claim 4 , 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.

7. The system of claim 6 , 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 + . . . +SnAn=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 ETotal is equal to the total energy production of all the selected solar panels.

8. 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 one or more solar panels and one or more arrays 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 one or more solar panels and the one or more arrays of solar panels to the computing device;

storing, at the computing device, a predetermined solar panel layout for the installation location, the predetermined solar panel layout including a plurality of solar panels, the predetermined solar panel layout being fixed;

storing, at the computing device, the energy production information for the one or more solar panels and the one or more arrays of solar panels;

receiving, at the computing device without additional requests to the server, a selection and deselection of one or more solar panels less than all of the plurality of solar panels in the predetermined solar panel layout; and

determining, at the computing device without additional requests to the server, a design for the installation location based on the selection or deselection of the one or more solar panels less than all of the plurality of solar panels and an energy production estimate.

9. The method of claim 8 , further comprising:

receiving the installation location information at the computing device;

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

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

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein the installation location information includes weather, latitude/longitude, tilt, azimuth, shading, insolation, soiling, and local fire codes.

11. The method of claim 8 , 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 less than all of the plurality of solar panels in the predetermined solar panel layout;

determining, at the computing device, if the design for the installation location is complete; and

storing, at the computing device, the design for the installation location when the design for the installation location is complete.

12. The method of claim 9 , wherein the design is a subset of one or more solar panels and one or more solar panel arrays within the predetermined solar panel layout.

13. 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.

14. The method of claim 13 , 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 + . . . +SnAn=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 ETotal is equal to the total energy production of all the selected solar panels.

15. 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 one or more solar panels and one or more arrays 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 one or more solar panels and the one or more arrays of solar panels;

storing, at the computing device, a predetermined solar panel layout for the installation location, the predetermined solar panel layout including a plurality of solar panels, the predetermined solar panel layout being fixed;

storing, at the computing device, the energy production information for the one or more solar panels and the one or more arrays of solar panels;

receiving, at the computing device without additional requests to the server, a selection and deselection of one or more solar panels less than all of the plurality of solar panels in the predetermined solar panel layout; and

determining, at the computing device without additional requests to the server, a design for the installation location based on the selection or deselection of the one or more solar panels less than all of the plurality of solar panels and an energy production estimate.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 15 , wherein determining the energy production information for the one or more solar panels and for the one or more arrays of solar panels includes

receiving the installation location information;

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

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

17. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 16 , wherein the installation location information includes weather, latitude/longitude, tilt, azimuth, shading, insolation, soiling, and local fire codes.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 16 , wherein determining the design for the installation location 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 less than all of the plurality of solar panels in the predetermined solar panel layout;

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

storing the design for the installation location when the design for the installation location is complete.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 18 , 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.

20. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 19 , 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 + . . . +SnAn=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 ETotal is equal to the total energy production of all the selected solar panels.