Clean forms of energy are a topic that has been often discussed lately which is why it seems to us that we are sufficiently familiar with it. Yet if we were to decide to install solar panels on the roof of our home, the first question we would need to answer would be how many panels we would need.
A team of final-year undergraduates and young software engineers, Uroš Poček, Tamara Ilić, Tina Mihajlović and Milica Sladaković, devised a way to simplify at least one segment of this procedure. Their story begins in November last year when RE:HACK was organized by Science & Technology Park in Novi Sad and GIZ.
This hackathon required a solution and a simple business model for the use of solar energy in households to be found in 48 hours, which none of them had encountered before. That’s when the idea for the development of the SolaRise startup began to simmer. The third place they won at the hackathon and the mentoring support they received for further work prompted Uroš, Tamara, Tina and Milica to develop their own business models for product launch. Although this proved to be the most difficult part of the job, no obstacle was insurmountable, they say in a good team spirit fashion.
IN FOCUS:
- SUSTAINABLE WASTE MANAGEMENT WITH GREEN ENERGY
- THE UNTAPPED POTENTIAL OF ENVIRONMENTALLY FRIENDLY HEMP PELLET
- DIGITALIZATION AS A WAY TO IMPROVE ENERGY EFFICIENCY IN BUILDINGS
What is the SolaRise software?
As Tamara explains, their software performs measurements and generates an offer for the installation of solar panels on people’s properties in just three clicks of a mouse. The client needs to enter the address where they plan to install the panel and everything else is done by this team of young people thanks to their artificial intelligence (AI) model which they developed using satellite images of locations in Serbia and several other European countries. Based on a satellite image of the location that is entered, their software recognizes the facility and accurately measures the area, offering information on how many panels are needed to cover the average electricity needs of the household.
The complete analysis, calculations and offer are generated in about 15 seconds, which includes information about the price of panel installation, the amount of energy produced, the return on the investment, etc. The whole process, including entering data and the address, lasts about 60 seconds. Although there are similar ideas in the market, this one stands out for its speed and simplicity, advanced AI model and competitive price.
Companies that install solar panels have recognized the benefits of cooperating with the Solarise startup. If they decide to provide access to this software through their website, they will make their services more qualitative and competitive. In this way, potential clients will be able to check whether the installation of the panels is worthwhile for them and whether they want to consider it more seriously, while the company will be able to do the initial planning faster and more efficiently, and then dedicate its full time and services to those people who really want to become their clients.
Prepared by: Katarina Vuinac
Read the story in the new issue of the Energy portal Magazine CIRCULAR ECONOMY
