Local-first by default.
SolarLab is designed so the core calculators, project storage, bill scanning, and PDF generation can operate without an account.
Browser-local project data
Calculator inputs, confirmed bill values, saved Wiki cards, and interface preferences are stored in the browser using local storage. They remain on the current device unless the user exports a project file, copies a share link, or later chooses a hosted synchronisation feature.
Electricity-bill scanning
Bill images and PDFs are processed in the browser. SolarLab does not require the customer name, account number, service address, meter number, barcode, QR code, phone number, or email address to estimate electricity consumption.
The original bill file and OCR text are not written to SolarLab project storage. Only values explicitly reviewed and confirmed by the user can be saved:
- Billing period or user-entered label
- Monthly electricity consumption in kWh
- Bill amount
- Calculated effective rate per kWh
The OCR engine and PDF renderer may need to download their application assets during the first use. The bill itself is still processed locally in the browser.
Clearing data
Confirmed bill records can be removed from the Bill Scanner. The complete SolarLab project can also be reset from the project panel or cleared through the browser’s site-data controls.
Community Beta feedback
When the hosted Community Beta feedback service is enabled, SolarLab stores the rating, feedback category, written message, page path, application version, and submission time. The application database is intentionally not designed to store a name, email address, utility account number, bill image, or precise home address with ordinary feedback.
If the feedback service is unavailable, the feedback form falls back to browser-local storage and tells the user that it was not submitted.
Privacy-safe beta telemetry
The hosted beta can record a page-view event and short client-error category so broken pages can be found during testing. The SolarLab event table stores the event type, page path, short error message when applicable, application version, and time. SolarLab does not intentionally write IP addresses, advertising identifiers, bill contents, or account identifiers into this event table.
No required account
SolarLab v1.16 does not provide cloud accounts or mandatory sign-in. A future hosted version may offer optional synchronisation, collaboration, and installer workflows. Those services would require updated retention, export, deletion, and account-security controls before launch.
Future integrations
Live irradiance, marketplace feeds, optional account synchronisation, remote OCR, and installer-lead services are not part of the current local-first core. Any future provider that receives user data must be identified in an updated privacy notice before that feature is enabled.