A 22 year old Bruce Gao Created a Smartphone app ‘SimplySolar’ that Increases Solar Panels Efficiency up to 40 per cent
We have heard about many smartphone apps in the past that could enhance our productivity or efficiency for various lifestyle requirements.
Now, a new innovative smartphone app has been developed for improving solar panel efficiency.
As of right now, it is more economically viable to buy more solar panels than buy a solar tracking system that automatically aligns solar panel/solar thermal heaters.
A young 22-year-old Canadian, Bruce Gao has created a smartphone app called ‘SimplySolar’.
He is a SHAD Fellow and first-year medical student at the University of Calgary and co-founded Simply Solar, an app that aligns solar panels in 130 countries.
SimplySolar replaces expensive alignment tools and solar tracking systems with a clever algorithm and a few tools to aid in manually adjusting a solar panel to increase the amount of energy output.
SimplySolar App (Image source: NetworkedIndia)
This app helps find out the most effective direction of facing so as to collect the maximum energy by the solar panels can be known.
This app helps find out the most effective direction of facing so as to collect the maximum energy by the solar panels. SimplySolar is a global solution to solar panel misalignment.
Some of the features and benefits of the SimplySolar app:
- 30-40% energy gain
- Works with both solar panels and solar thermal heaters
- Increases the ROI of solar panels/solar heaters
- Built to work in remote areas – No internet connection required
- Prevents lost energy
- With copper oxide solar panels – more solar panels are available at a lower price
- Simple to use
- Works on both large and small panels
- Works on extremely cheap smartphones
- Can work on makeshift solar panels, the phone accurately calculates the angles, doesn’t rely on angle markings
- Compass to align the solar panel with True North
Co-founder Bruce Gao (Image source: LinkedIn) How does SimplySolar app work?
- It works using a combination of GPS and the built-in compass in smartphones.
- Users place their phones on top of the solar panels, and the app shows them when the panels are facing the most effective direction.
- Pointing solar panels in the right direction can make them up to 40% more effective.
Bruce Gao created this app when he was attending Canada’s Shad programme for exceptional high school students, reports The Star.
SimplySolar app acquiring GPS coordinates
Alignment with North pole
Angle adjustment Instructions
Current angle and Manual Mode (Images credit: SimplySolar app)
The inspiration for creating this app came when he visited an orphanage in China. The children were suffering from the cold due ineffective installation of solar panels which operate the heating system in the building.
He decided to do something about this issue and he researched how solar panels should be positioned to soak up the most energy.
He created the smartphone app ‘SimplySolar’ along with a high-school classmate.
It could optimize solar panels in developing countries by increasing energy harvest by up to 40%, helping create sustainable communities with a higher standard of living. (Source: IndiaToday)
