High-Level Project Summary
We have developed a mobile application, named PDRA, that retrieves and visualizes solar power data. First, the user inputs specific longitude and latitude data or chose a location on the integrated map, as well as the period of time. Then, the application retrieves the data from the NASA POWER API. Finally, the data is converted into a bar chart. Through the use of our app, people could get historical data and predict how much power their own solar systems could produce. Now that people have access to this information, people may be more willing to install their own solar generation systems. As a result, solar power generation can become more widespread throughout the world.
Link to Project "Demo"
Link to Final Project
Detailed Project Description
For this challenge, we used an application development tool(Kodular) to design our android app. We take the user inputted parameters and make an API request to POWER. We requested two kinds of data : ALLSKY_SFC_SW_DWN and ALLSKY_SFC_SW_DIFF. We then combined the two values together for each entry. The processed data is fed to a plugin that sends it to the google charts API. Finally, when the chart is sent back, the application displays it as the result.The google charts API was used because it can take an unspecified amount of input and still turn it into a easily comprehensible chart.
^An demonstration of using or application
We later added the temporal resolution "weekly"
^Our code designed in Kodular for the application
Through the use of our app, we hope to make this data easily understandable and accessible to the public. As demand for solar energy sources rises, so too will the number of people looking to purchase solar power systems for their homes. There will bound to be people looking for data on solar power's feasibility for their property. Then our application will become an invaluable asset for those people.
Our github page: https://github.com/Darwinho4/PDRA
Space Agency Data
We used the NASA POWER API to get the solar irradiance data. We also used it to see which parameters are needed for our application, and we used the example code as a guide to designing the data fetcher.
Hackathon Journey
This is our first experience with hackathon-like competitions. Our hackathon journey got off to a rocky start. Because our team is not particularly fluent in app design, we opted to use an app designer. We originally planned to use a different app designer, but that one just refused to get data from the POWER API. We rushed day and night to fix it, but we ended up having to use another option.
We chose this challenge because renewable energy is a topic of great importance, particularly in Taiwan. Our government has been slowly phasing out nuclear power, as a result, renewable energy sources like solar power are getting more and more attention. We thought that this challenge can help we develop a program to help the current power situation in Taiwan.
We would like to thank the organizers and experts of the NASA Hackathon Taipei. Their input was most invaluable on our path to creating and presenting the solution. We would also like to thank the Kodular community, particularly moderator dora_paz, for assistance with the Kodular platform.
References
The plugin we used to make charts with google chart API(Chart maker by Kate Manning and Emily Kager)
Webview utility(WebViewTools)
Information regarding how to calculate solar irradiance(ScienceDirect)
Tags
#software #mobile #app #solar #renewable_energy #POWER #API
Global Judging
This project has been submitted for consideration during the Judging process.