Solar Sizing Modifier | Restricted Explore Guides

Overview

The Solar Sizing Modifier Process leverages geospatial and solar simulation data to generate an optimized solar panel configuration for a given premise. The process integrates ArcGIS for precise geocoding and a dedicated solar API to extract rooftop solar potential, including roof segment statistics. By analyzing these inputs, the modifier identifies the optimal arrangement of solar panels—taking into account shading, panel tilt, and orientation—to maximize energy production.

Key steps in the process include:

Address Extraction: Validates and extracts customer address details from provided attributes.
Geocoding: Converts the physical address into geographic coordinates (latitude and longitude) using ArcGIS.
Solar Data Retrieval: Retrieves solar potential data through a solar API, including detailed roof segment statistics.
Roof Segment Analysis: Parses roof segment data to determine the available area, pitch, and azimuth for panel installation.
Key Segment Identification and Capacity Calculation:
Within the selected combination, the largest roof segment—based on its projected annual energy output—is identified. This segment’s characteristics (tilt and azimuth) are used for the final recommendation. The system capacity is then calculated by comparing the overall rooftop capacity (derived from the total number of panels) with a usage-based capacity computed from the largest segment’s performance, ensuring that the recommended system is both feasible and aligned with the energy offset goal.

Modifier Parameters

Input Parameters

Parameter Name	Description	Source/Definition	Required?	Customer-facing?
Contract ID	A unique identifier for the customer's contract.	Provided within the `bill_input` section of the request payload.	Yes	No
Oversizing Capacity	Customer-preferred oversizing capacity percentage value	Customer input	Yes	Yes
Customer Attributes	A collection of customer address attributes such as street address, county, city, state, zip code, and zip code extension.	Extracted from the `customer_attributes` array in `bill_input`. Must include: Premise_Address_Lane_1, Premise_county, Premise_city, Premise_state, Premise_zip_code, and Premise_zip_code_extension.	Yes	No
Billing Cycle Details	Meter reading data capturing energy usage over specific billing cycles.	A list of CSV-formatted readings (format: channel, timestamp, value) is provided in `billing_cycle_details` inside `bill_input`.	Yes	No

Output Parameters

Parameter Name	Description	Unit	Source	Customer-facing?
Rooftop Capacity	Total available capacity of the rooftop based on the aggregate number of panels.	kW	Google Solar API	No
Usage Based Capacity	Capacity computed from the largest roof segment’s performance relative to the target energy requirement.	kW	Historical Interval Usage	No
Final Recommended Capacity	The recommended solar system capacity, determined as the lower of the rooftop capacity and the usage-based capacity.	kW	Combined Calculation	Yes
Azimuth Degrees	The orientation angle (azimuth) extracted from the largest roof segment.	Degree	Google Solar API	No
Tilt Pitch Degrees	The tilt angle extracted from the largest roof segment.	Degree	Google Solar API	No