Show HN: PVBenchmark – Forecast and Benchmark PV Systems with Real-World Data

Hi HN,

I want to share PVBenchmark with you, a side project designed to help owners of photovoltaic systems forecast and benchmark their solar energy production.

Small plug-and-play solar systems, like those increasingly popular in Germany and around the world, allow homeowners and renters to install solar panels on balconies, rooftops, or backyards. These systems make renewable energy more accessible and help reduce electricity bills. However, understanding how well a system is performing or whether it’s optimized can be challenging.

PVBenchmark is here to address that challenge by offering:

Forecasting: Enter your location and details for multiple surfaces (orientation, tilt, and capacity) to get tailored solar production forecasts.

Benchmarking: Compare your actual energy production with real-world data from other users’ systems. By crowdsourcing production data, the platform builds a growing dataset that enables meaningful comparisons and insights. Over time, the plan is to expand benchmarks to include specific solar modules, inverters, and batteries, providing unbiased evaluation data beyond product marketing claims.

Though the project started with a focus on Germany, PVBenchmark now supports English and supports global production forecasts. As interest in small-scale solar systems grows in the U.S. and beyond, I hope this platform can become a valuable resource for homeowners, renters, and energy enthusiasts alike.

It’s an early version, and I’d love to hear your feedback. Thanks, and I look forward to your thoughts!