Dr. Van Wattson
Off-Grid Solar Visualization & Simulation Tools
Get it Right - The First Time
small to medium sized off-grid applications
Van Life
Skoolie Conversions
Skoolie Conversions
Optimization is the name of the game for van conversions. With mobility being a primary advantage, right sizing for a range of both city and open space operation becomes imperative.
Skoolie Conversions
Skoolie Conversions
Skoolie Conversions
Designing an off-grid solar system for a school bus conversion, or “Skoolie,” involves managing the energy demands of full-sized household appliances within a mobile environment.
Tiny Homes
Skoolie Conversions
Tiny Homes
Designing an off-grid solar system for a tiny home requires accounting for extreme temperatures and seasonal changes, as the structure is primarily stationary and cannot easily be relocated to more favorable climates.
Size - Design - Simulate
The new Dr. Van Wattson 'Solar Explorer' is here to help with all that and more.
Off-grid electrical systems can be complex. Understanding how, when and why power flows between various energy sources and the multitude of devices that rely on that power isn’t always straightforward. Now you can visualize exactly what happens in a typical small-scale off-grid setup.
Even the most experienced face challenges in correctly sizing system components
With Dr. Van Wattson’s Solar Explorer, you can easily explore what minor changes in solar capacity, battery capacity and seasonal changes do, and adjust your power load options to best fit your lifestyle. Even if you have an existing system and are looking to expand it's capabilities, its always better to know more about what components are causing limitations and where it's best to invest in more capacity.
Free Tools For Beginners
The Solar Explorer tool provides an intuitive way to see how solar panels generate energy, how solar controllers regulate that energy, and get a feel for what battery capacity is required for a functional system.
Set up your loads (like a coffee pot, laptop, or TV) with just a few clicks. Watch as time progresses with 24 hour-a-day simulation, showing how the solar array generates power and distributes it throughout the system. Visually watch the batteries maintain your power loads throughout the evening and night and know exactly what to expect when you wake up in the morning.
Iterate, adjust, evaluate and repeat - Adjust the solar & battery array sizes dynamically to see which combination works best for your needs - all for free.
For Professionals
The Solar Explorer visualizer also offers advanced capabilities, including custom load characterization for up to 10 different AC loads, seasonal adjustments, cloud cover settings, individual wire analysis, wire length modeling, wire size modeling, expected voltage drop, and temperature rise computations for each major electrical leg.
Additionally, it features a unique chart profiling tool that visually tracks the system’s long-term performance under various conditions along with enhanced capabilities like system report generation, configuration saving and loading, configurable DC-to-DC charger parameters, adjustable AC-to-DC charger capacity, and more.
Free Pro-Mode Evaluation
The Basic mode is completely free and offers a robust set of tools to get you started. The PRO features may also be evaluated in this basic free mode. No downloads are needed—it all runs directly from your browser.
(Link to Launch the Solar Explorer is below)