Educational and Outreach Website for Solar Energy

The design and development of an educational and outreach website for solar energy is described. Its main function is to collect and display the solar energy generated at multiple sites in the City of Menasha, Wisconsin, USA. Users have the option of viewing individual site performance and comparing performance across sites. They also have access to historical data, which is obtained directly from the sites via an Internet connection. The secondary function is to education users on solar energy generation, micro-grids, and how distributed generation is good for the macro-grid. They also get information on ways to get involved and stay up to date. The website was built by the App Factory at UW-Parkside as part of a collaboration between UWO-Oshkosh, Fox Cities and Menasha Utilities. This project has the potential to be expanded to other sites and other communities. The data can be used for research and teaching projects as well.