# NREL PVWatts Solar Production Calculator (`compute-edge/nrel-pvwatts-scraper`) Actor Calculate solar PV system energy production for any US location using NREL's PVWatts v8 API. Models monthly and annual AC output (kWh) for grid-connected photovoltaic systems based on system size, tilt, azimuth, and array type. - **URL**: https://apify.com/compute-edge/nrel-pvwatts-scraper.md - **Developed by:** [Compute Edge](https://apify.com/compute-edge) (community) - **Categories:** Lead generation - **Stats:** 2 total users, 1 monthly users, 100.0% runs succeeded, NaN bookmarks - **User rating**: No ratings yet ## Pricing from $3.00 / 1,000 results This Actor is paid per event. You are not charged for the Apify platform usage, but only a fixed price for specific events. Learn more: https://docs.apify.com/platform/actors/running/actors-in-store#pay-per-event ## What's an Apify Actor? Actors are a software tools running on the Apify platform, for all kinds of web data extraction and automation use cases. In Batch mode, an Actor accepts a well-defined JSON input, performs an action which can take anything from a few seconds to a few hours, and optionally produces a well-defined JSON output, datasets with results, or files in key-value store. In Standby mode, an Actor provides a web server which can be used as a website, API, or an MCP server. Actors are written with capital "A". ## How to integrate an Actor? If asked about integration, you help developers integrate Actors into their projects. You adapt to their stack and deliver integrations that are safe, well-documented, and production-ready. The best way to integrate Actors is as follows. In JavaScript/TypeScript projects, use official [JavaScript/TypeScript client](https://docs.apify.com/api/client/js.md): ```bash npm install apify-client ``` In Python projects, use official [Python client library](https://docs.apify.com/api/client/python.md): ```bash pip install apify-client ``` In shell scripts, use [Apify CLI](https://docs.apify.com/cli/docs.md): ````bash # MacOS / Linux curl -fsSL https://apify.com/install-cli.sh | bash # Windows irm https://apify.com/install-cli.ps1 | iex ```bash In AI frameworks, you might use the [Apify MCP server](https://docs.apify.com/platform/integrations/mcp.md). If your project is in a different language, use the [REST API](https://docs.apify.com/api/v2.md). For usage examples, see the [API](#api) section below. For more details, see Apify documentation as [Markdown index](https://docs.apify.com/llms.txt) and [Markdown full-text](https://docs.apify.com/llms-full.txt). # README ## NREL PVWatts Solar Production Calculator Estimate solar PV system energy production for any US location using the National Renewable Energy Laboratory's **PVWatts v8** API. Inputs latitude, longitude, system capacity, tilt, and azimuth. Outputs monthly and annual AC kWh, capacity factor, and the nearest weather station used for solar resource modeling. ### Why this Actor Solar installers, energy developers, and ESG analysts need quick PV output estimates for hundreds of sites. PVWatts is the industry-standard NREL model — this Actor wraps it for bulk runs, multi-site portfolios, and dashboards, returning structured JSON that drops into CSV/RAG pipelines without a single API call from your team. ### Features - Bulk multi-site mode: feed many lat/lon/capacity rows in one run. - Annual + monthly AC and DC kWh output. - Capacity factor (computed). - Solar resource (kWh/m²/day) annual and monthly. - Nearest weather station metadata (name, distance, elevation). - Works with NREL's free DEMO_KEY (rate-limited) — or a free user key for unlimited use. ### Output fields | Field | Description | |---|---| | latitude, longitude, label | Site identity | | systemCapacityKW | DC nameplate | | annualAcOutputKWh | Annual AC energy | | capacityFactorPct | Computed capacity factor | | monthlyAcKWh | 12-month AC output array | | monthlyDcKWh | 12-month DC output array | | solradAnnual / monthlySolarResource | NREL TMY solar resource (kWh/m²/day) | | stationName, stationCity, stationState | NSRDB weather station used | | stationDistanceMeters | Distance from site to weather station | ### Tutorial — How to estimate solar production 1. (Recommended) Get a free NREL API key at https://developer.nrel.gov/signup/. Paste it into **NREL API Key**. 2. Paste one site per line into **Sites**, formatted as `latitude,longitude,capacity_kW`. Example: ```` 33.4484,-112.0740,10 34.0522,-118.2437,8 40.7128,-74.0060,12 ```` 3. Choose **Tilt**, **Azimuth**, **Array Type** (fixed roof, 1-axis tracker, etc.), **Module Type** (standard/premium/thin-film) and **System Losses %**. 4. **Run**. Each site returns one record with annual + monthly output. Leave **Sites** blank to estimate output for 10 sample US cities — useful for testing. ### Pricing Per-result. Each site = 1 result. Compute is minimal (single HTTPS request per site). ### Use cases - Solar installer lead qualification (rough output for proposed sites) - ESG / RE100 corporate site modeling - Real estate / commercial roof-leasing assessments - Academic / consulting analyses of regional solar potential ### FAQ **Q: Do I have to get an API key?** No — DEMO_KEY works for small runs, but is rate-limited and shared. The free NREL key is instant. **Q: Is this PVWatts v6, v7, or v8?** v8 — the current released version. **Q: What's the model accuracy?** ±10% versus measured production for most US locations; NREL publishes uncertainty docs at https://pvwatts.nrel.gov/. ### Legal This Actor calls NREL's public PVWatts API. NREL data is public-domain US Government data. Respect NREL rate limits (free key = 1,000 req/hr by default). # Actor input Schema ## `apiKey` (type: `string`): Free NREL API key (https://developer.nrel.gov/signup/). Leave blank to use DEMO_KEY (rate-limited). ## `sites` (type: `string`): One site per line: 'latitude,longitude,system_capacity_kW'. Example: '40.0,-105.0,4'. Leave blank for default sample sites. ## `moduleType` (type: `integer`): 0 = Standard, 1 = Premium, 2 = Thin Film. ## `arrayType` (type: `integer`): 0 = Fixed open rack, 1 = Fixed roof mount, 2 = 1-axis, 3 = 1-axis backtracking, 4 = 2-axis. ## `losses` (type: `integer`): System losses percent (default 14). ## `tilt` (type: `integer`): Array tilt from horizontal. ## `azimuth` (type: `integer`): Array azimuth (180 = south). ## Actor input object example ```json { "apiKey": "", "sites": "", "moduleType": 1, "arrayType": 1, "losses": 14, "tilt": 20, "azimuth": 180 } ```` # Actor output Schema ## `dataset` (type: `string`): No description # API You can run this Actor programmatically using our API. Below are code examples in JavaScript, Python, and CLI, as well as the OpenAPI specification and MCP server setup. ## JavaScript example ```javascript import { ApifyClient } from 'apify-client'; // Initialize the ApifyClient with your Apify API token // Replace the '' with your token const client = new ApifyClient({ token: '', }); // Prepare Actor input const input = {}; // Run the Actor and wait for it to finish const run = await client.actor("compute-edge/nrel-pvwatts-scraper").call(input); // Fetch and print Actor results from the run's dataset (if any) console.log('Results from dataset'); console.log(`💾 Check your data here: https://console.apify.com/storage/datasets/${run.defaultDatasetId}`); const { items } = await client.dataset(run.defaultDatasetId).listItems(); items.forEach((item) => { console.dir(item); }); // 📚 Want to learn more 📖? Go to → https://docs.apify.com/api/client/js/docs ``` ## Python example ```python from apify_client import ApifyClient # Initialize the ApifyClient with your Apify API token # Replace '' with your token. client = ApifyClient("") # Prepare the Actor input run_input = {} # Run the Actor and wait for it to finish run = client.actor("compute-edge/nrel-pvwatts-scraper").call(run_input=run_input) # Fetch and print Actor results from the run's dataset (if there are any) print("💾 Check your data here: https://console.apify.com/storage/datasets/" + run["defaultDatasetId"]) for item in client.dataset(run["defaultDatasetId"]).iterate_items(): print(item) # 📚 Want to learn more 📖? Go to → https://docs.apify.com/api/client/python/docs/quick-start ``` ## CLI example ```bash echo '{}' | apify call compute-edge/nrel-pvwatts-scraper --silent --output-dataset ``` ## MCP server setup ```json { "mcpServers": { "apify": { "command": "npx", "args": [ "mcp-remote", "https://mcp.apify.com/?tools=compute-edge/nrel-pvwatts-scraper", "--header", "Authorization: Bearer " ] } } } ``` ## OpenAPI specification ```json { "openapi": "3.0.1", "info": { "title": "NREL PVWatts Solar Production Calculator", "description": "Calculate solar PV system energy production for any US location using NREL's PVWatts v8 API. Models monthly and annual AC output (kWh) for grid-connected photovoltaic systems based on system size, tilt, azimuth, and array type.", "version": "0.1", "x-build-id": "I0aiJD3lJgpqE4LZT" }, "servers": [ { "url": "https://api.apify.com/v2" } ], "paths": { "/acts/compute-edge~nrel-pvwatts-scraper/run-sync-get-dataset-items": { "post": { "operationId": "run-sync-get-dataset-items-compute-edge-nrel-pvwatts-scraper", "x-openai-isConsequential": false, "summary": "Executes an Actor, waits for its completion, and returns Actor's dataset items in response.", "tags": [ "Run Actor" ], "requestBody": { "required": true, "content": { "application/json": { "schema": { "$ref": "#/components/schemas/inputSchema" } } } }, "parameters": [ { "name": "token", "in": "query", "required": true, "schema": { "type": "string" }, "description": "Enter your Apify token here" } ], "responses": { "200": { "description": "OK" } } } }, "/acts/compute-edge~nrel-pvwatts-scraper/runs": { "post": { "operationId": "runs-sync-compute-edge-nrel-pvwatts-scraper", "x-openai-isConsequential": false, "summary": "Executes an Actor and returns information about the initiated run in response.", "tags": [ "Run Actor" ], "requestBody": { "required": true, "content": { "application/json": { "schema": { "$ref": "#/components/schemas/inputSchema" } } } }, "parameters": [ { "name": "token", "in": "query", "required": true, "schema": { "type": "string" }, "description": "Enter your Apify token here" } ], "responses": { "200": { "description": "OK", "content": { "application/json": { "schema": { "$ref": "#/components/schemas/runsResponseSchema" } } } } } } }, "/acts/compute-edge~nrel-pvwatts-scraper/run-sync": { "post": { "operationId": "run-sync-compute-edge-nrel-pvwatts-scraper", "x-openai-isConsequential": false, "summary": "Executes an Actor, waits for completion, and returns the OUTPUT from Key-value store in response.", "tags": [ "Run Actor" ], "requestBody": { "required": true, "content": { "application/json": { "schema": { "$ref": "#/components/schemas/inputSchema" } } } }, "parameters": [ { "name": "token", "in": "query", "required": true, "schema": { "type": "string" }, "description": "Enter your Apify token here" } ], "responses": { "200": { "description": "OK" } } } } }, "components": { "schemas": { "inputSchema": { "type": "object", "properties": { "apiKey": { "title": "NREL API Key", "type": "string", "description": "Free NREL API key (https://developer.nrel.gov/signup/). Leave blank to use DEMO_KEY (rate-limited).", "default": "" }, "sites": { "title": "Sites (lat,lon,capacity_kW per line)", "type": "string", "description": "One site per line: 'latitude,longitude,system_capacity_kW'. Example: '40.0,-105.0,4'. Leave blank for default sample sites.", "default": "" }, "moduleType": { "title": "Module Type", "minimum": 0, "maximum": 2, "type": "integer", "description": "0 = Standard, 1 = Premium, 2 = Thin Film.", "default": 1 }, "arrayType": { "title": "Array Type", "minimum": 0, "maximum": 4, "type": "integer", "description": "0 = Fixed open rack, 1 = Fixed roof mount, 2 = 1-axis, 3 = 1-axis backtracking, 4 = 2-axis.", "default": 1 }, "losses": { "title": "System Losses (%)", "minimum": 0, "maximum": 99, "type": "integer", "description": "System losses percent (default 14).", "default": 14 }, "tilt": { "title": "Tilt (degrees)", "minimum": 0, "maximum": 90, "type": "integer", "description": "Array tilt from horizontal.", "default": 20 }, "azimuth": { "title": "Azimuth (degrees)", "minimum": 0, "maximum": 360, "type": "integer", "description": "Array azimuth (180 = south).", "default": 180 } } }, "runsResponseSchema": { "type": "object", "properties": { "data": { "type": "object", "properties": { "id": { "type": "string" }, "actId": { "type": "string" }, "userId": { "type": "string" }, "startedAt": { "type": "string", "format": "date-time", "example": "2025-01-08T00:00:00.000Z" }, "finishedAt": { "type": "string", "format": "date-time", "example": "2025-01-08T00:00:00.000Z" }, "status": { "type": "string", "example": "READY" }, "meta": { "type": "object", "properties": { "origin": { "type": "string", "example": "API" }, "userAgent": { "type": "string" } } }, "stats": { "type": "object", "properties": { "inputBodyLen": { "type": "integer", "example": 2000 }, "rebootCount": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "restartCount": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "resurrectCount": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "computeUnits": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 } } }, "options": { "type": "object", "properties": { "build": { "type": "string", "example": "latest" }, "timeoutSecs": { "type": "integer", "example": 300 }, "memoryMbytes": { "type": "integer", "example": 1024 }, "diskMbytes": { "type": "integer", "example": 2048 } } }, "buildId": { "type": "string" }, "defaultKeyValueStoreId": { "type": "string" }, "defaultDatasetId": { "type": "string" }, "defaultRequestQueueId": { "type": "string" }, "buildNumber": { "type": "string", "example": "1.0.0" }, "containerUrl": { "type": "string" }, "usage": { "type": "object", "properties": { "ACTOR_COMPUTE_UNITS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "DATASET_READS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "DATASET_WRITES": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "KEY_VALUE_STORE_READS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "KEY_VALUE_STORE_WRITES": { "type": "integer", "example": 1 }, "KEY_VALUE_STORE_LISTS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "REQUEST_QUEUE_READS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "REQUEST_QUEUE_WRITES": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "DATA_TRANSFER_INTERNAL_GBYTES": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "DATA_TRANSFER_EXTERNAL_GBYTES": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "PROXY_RESIDENTIAL_TRANSFER_GBYTES": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "PROXY_SERPS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 } } }, "usageTotalUsd": { "type": "number", "example": 0.00005 }, "usageUsd": { "type": "object", "properties": { "ACTOR_COMPUTE_UNITS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "DATASET_READS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "DATASET_WRITES": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "KEY_VALUE_STORE_READS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "KEY_VALUE_STORE_WRITES": { "type": "number", "example": 0.00005 }, "KEY_VALUE_STORE_LISTS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "REQUEST_QUEUE_READS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "REQUEST_QUEUE_WRITES": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "DATA_TRANSFER_INTERNAL_GBYTES": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "DATA_TRANSFER_EXTERNAL_GBYTES": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "PROXY_RESIDENTIAL_TRANSFER_GBYTES": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "PROXY_SERPS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 } } } } } } } } } } ```