Get Solar Analysis in 5 Minutes
SolarScope gives you professional-grade solar energy analysis in under five minutes. By combining NASA POWER irradiance data with NREL solar resource datasets and AI interpretation, SolarScope turns raw solar data into actionable insights — without requiring an engineering degree.
This quick start guide walks you through creating your first project from scratch. By the end, you'll have a complete solar analysis report with energy production estimates, irradiance data, and AI-generated recommendations.
Step 1: Create Your Account
Go to solarscope.io and click Get Started. The free Starter plan includes up to 5 projects and full access to NASA POWER solar data with no credit card required. Pro and Premium plans unlock additional projects, AI credits, and PDF report generation.
Once registered, you'll land on your Dashboard — the central hub for all your solar analysis projects.
Step 2: Create a New Project
Click New Project from your Dashboard. Enter a project name that helps you identify the site (for example, "Smith Residence — San Diego" or "Warehouse Rooftop — Phoenix AZ").
Next, enter the site location. SolarScope accepts:
- Full street addresses (geocoded automatically)
- City and state combinations
- GPS coordinates (latitude, longitude)
SolarScope supports any location worldwide covered by NASA POWER, which includes virtually all land areas and many ocean regions.
Step 3: Configure Your Solar System
Select your system type: Residential, Commercial, or Utility-Scale. Then configure:
- System Size (kW): Total DC capacity of your solar array
- Tilt Angle: Panel angle from horizontal (typically 15–35° for US locations)
- Azimuth: Panel facing direction (180° = true south, optimal for northern hemisphere)
- Panel Efficiency: Default is 20% for standard monocrystalline modules
If you're unsure about tilt and azimuth, SolarScope's AI assistant can recommend optimal values based on your latitude.
Step 4: Run Your Analysis
Click Analyze Site. SolarScope will:
- Query NASA POWER for 20+ years of historical irradiance data at your location
- Pull NREL solar resource data for additional validation
- Calculate monthly and annual energy production estimates
- Generate GHI, DNI, DHI, and peak sun hour values
- Run AI analysis to identify key performance factors
Analysis typically completes in 10–30 seconds depending on data availability.
Step 5: Review Your Results
Your project dashboard displays:
- Annual Energy Production (kWh/year) estimated from your system configuration
- Global Horizontal Irradiance (GHI) monthly chart
- Peak Sun Hours by month
- Capacity Factor for your system
- AI Insights highlighting seasonal patterns, shading risks, and optimization tips
You can also export results as a PDF report (Pro plan) or share the project with team members.