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🌟 Student-Led Research · IEEE PVSC 54

Solar Energy for Every Texas Community

A free, data-driven tool that helps underserved Texas households understand the true cost and savings of going solar — in minutes, not months.

See How It Works Get Involved
29M+
Texans on the ERCOT grid
~40%
of TX households are energy-burdened
$5–7K
typical annual savings with solar
5 yrs
payback period — our model's finding
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PV + Battery Storage Optimizer

Our hourly simulation engine models 8,760 hours of energy flow — solar generation, battery charging, grid interaction — to find the system that maximizes your savings.

📄 Published · IEEE PVSC 54 · 2024

Closing the Solar Access Gap in Texas

Solar energy can dramatically reduce electricity costs — but too often, the tools to evaluate it are expensive, technical, or simply unavailable to lower-income communities.

Solar Access Texas was founded by Jason Wang, a high school student at Jordan High School in Fulshear, TX. Jason's optimization model — which won recognition at IEEE PVSC 54 — is the backbone of this platform. We're expanding it into a free, bilingual tool for all Texans.

We use real data from NREL, the U.S. Census, and ERCOT to give you accurate, site-specific estimates — not generic guesses.

How Solar Access Texas Works

Enter your location and basic info. Our engine pulls real solar data and runs thousands of simulations to find your optimal system.

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1

Enter Your Location

Provide your address or ZIP code. We pull real solar irradiance data from NREL's PVWatts for your exact location in Texas.

2

Share Your Energy Use

Enter your monthly electricity bills or use our Texas default load profiles. We model your real household demand hour by hour.

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3

Run the Simulation

Our optimizer tests hundreds of PV + battery size combinations, simulating 8,760 hours of energy flow to find your best system.

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4

Get Your Results

See your recommended system size, projected NPV, payback period, and 20-year savings — plus guidance on incentives and next steps.

Built for Texas Communities Often Left Behind

Solar Access Texas is designed specifically for communities that face higher energy burdens and fewer resources to navigate the solar decision.

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Rural Texas Households

Far from the grid infrastructure center, rural families often pay more for electricity and have the most to gain from going solar.

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Spanish-Speaking Families

Our fully bilingual platform ensures language is never a barrier to understanding your solar options and financial return.

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Schools & Community Centers

Public institutions with high energy costs can use our tool to evaluate solar investments and reduce operating expenses.

Colonia Communities

Residents in Texas border colonias face unique energy challenges. Our ERCOT-integrated model accounts for local grid conditions.

The People Behind Solar Access Texas

Student-driven, community-focused, and data-powered.

👦

Jason Wang

Founder & Lead Researcher

Rising junior at Jordan High School, Fulshear, TX. Published PV+BESS optimization model at IEEE PVSC 54. Building the Python engine and dataset pipeline.

IEEE PVSC 54
👨

Wensen Wang

Project Advisor

Guiding the project strategy, community outreach, and long-term development roadmap for Solar Access Texas.

Strategy & Outreach
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You?

Community Partner / Mentor

We're actively seeking mentors, community organizations, and partners in Texas to help us reach the communities that need this most.

Join Us

4-Phase Plan Through Fall 2027

From research paper to community impact — here's where we're headed.

NOW
Phase 1

Foundation

Port Excel model to Python. Build NREL + Census + ERCOT data pipeline. Launch this website.

Summer 2026
Phase 2

Beta Tool

Launch interactive web calculator. Test with 3–5 partner communities in underserved Texas regions.

Fall 2026
Phase 3

Community Expansion

Partner with nonprofits and energy equity orgs. Add incentive program database (ITC, SECO grants, etc.).

Spring 2027
Phase 4

AI-Powered App

Mobile-friendly AI assistant that guides homeowners through the solar decision in plain English and Spanish.

Fall 2027

Partner With Us

Whether you're a community organization, mentor, researcher, or just someone who wants solar — we'd love to hear from you.