Project description and overview:

SolarConnect by Solar Analytics brings together rooftop solar monitoring and control with world class clean energy services. With its proprietary hardware and software solutions patented, designed and developed by Solar Analytics, SolarConnect works across all available solar technologies and integrates with grid-side communications to provide the lowest-cost energy management solution for the growing rooftop solar market.

Solar Analytics will work with project partners on the hardware and firmware engineering and design, to deliver a SolarConnect device that:

• Is robust for field deployment, with a target 5+ year warranty,
• Collects data, ideally at a range of collection frequencies, and communicates primarily via WiFi or in the event of failure via 4G
• Has some onboard storage in the event of communication failures, where the Firmware can be upgraded remotely using the same communications and where the device can send control signals.

The SolarConnect hardware and software solution combines monitoring and control of rooftop-solar energy generation and local demand with grid-side signals, weather, and energy forecasting. Solar Analytics use these inputs and apply patented algorithms for energy prediction, including machine learning on hardware responses and human behaviours, to optimise energy decision making at the site level.

SolarConnect brings these complex aspects together using Wi-Fi and 4G communications, cloud-computing and user-experience testing to deliver a customer-centred solution that allows the site owner and the grid operator to integrate more solar into the system, saving electricity costs locally while maintaining grid stability more broadly.