Delve estimates solar yield as the average amount of radiation received from direct and diffuse sunlight, measured in kilowatt hours per square meter (kWh/m^2). In addition, Delve converts the solar yield into an estimate of on-site generated energy and associated reduction in operational emissions.

These calculations are based on the orientation of buildings in each design and historical weather data for the local climate and weather.

Delve generates solar panels assumed to produce 345 Watts with an efficiency of 18%, a DC-to-AC derate factor of 85%, and industry-standard assumptions about other factors. The standard panel size is 78 in by 39 in (1.98m by 0.99m), which corresponds to a commercial-sized solar panel.

We place those solar panels on buildings in accordance with the International Fire Code's Energy Systems requirements. These standards guide solar panel placement, inclusion of interior pathways and a setback from the roof’s edge. In order to maximize efficiency, we only include solar panels that are less than 25% shaded and in an array of at least 4 panels.

Delve combines data from multiple sources to compute the available solar yield and the associated carbon footprint. Details on each source can be found below:

A solar dome is created using data derived from an input EnergyPlus Weather (EPW) data file specific to project location. This data includes information such as Direct Normal Irradiance (DNI) and Diffuse Horizontal Irradiance (DHI) which are used to create solar lookup tables containing each ray angle within the solar dome.

Roof areas on generated buildings are sampled using a 5 by 5 meter grid, and tested for direct line of sight to the solar dome, accounting for overshadowing from adjacent buildings. The total visible exposure can then be summed for the available roof area amount to estimate the total solar radiation over the course of a year.