System Philosophy & Architecture
About PowerLab
PowerLab was created to replace black-box marketing calculators with transparent, deterministic engineering tools. We believe anyone planning an off-grid cabin, home battery backup, rooftop solar array, or EV charging setup deserves accurate math with visible physical losses.
The 4 Connected Energy Pillars
Model location-aware solar insolation with NREL PVWatts V8, optimize roof pitch and seasonal tilt angles, and size array capacities.
Explore Solar Tools →Calculate runtime under real loads, model Peukert discharge effects, size whole-home LiFePO4 banks, and configure server UPS runtimes.
Explore Battery Tools →Audit household appliance wattages, calculate continuous vs. surge inrush power, and model monthly electric utility tariffs.
Explore Home Energy →Determine charging speeds across Level 1, Level 2, and DC Fast Charging, calculate home charging costs, and model gas savings.
Explore EV Tools →Our Engineering Philosophy
- Deterministic Pure TypeScript Engines: No stochastic AI hallucinations or random estimates. Every formula produces identical, verifiable outputs for given inputs.
- Visible Physical Loss Models: We explicitly model real-world inefficiencies: inverter tare idle draw (15–50W), AC/DC conversion losses (85–95%), DC wiring voltage drops (2–3%), and chemistry-specific depth-of-discharge thresholds.
- Zero Database Tracking: We operate completely free of user databases. There are no accounts, no logins, no advertising tracking pixels, and no utility bill harvesting.
- 100% Client-Side Computation: All calculations execute in your browser. Your Energy Profile and scenarios are stored locally in your device's
localStorage.
Who PowerLab Is Built For
Sizing whole-home backup batteries, calculating blackout runtimes, and planning rooftop solar arrays without pushy sales reps.
Configuring 12V / 24V LiFePO4 battery banks, portable power stations, and 12V DC compressor fridge duty cycles.
Rapid benchmark validation for seasonal tilt angles, NEC continuous load sizing, inverter clipping, and battery capacity conversions.
Comparing Level 1 vs Level 2 home charging install requirements, modeling charging electricity bills, and estimating fuel cost savings.
Transparency & Governance
PowerLab maintains open scientific governance. Review our complete formulas on the Engineering Methodology page, inspect reference standards on our Authoritative Data Sources page, or read our architecture-backed Zero-Database Privacy Policy.