Off-Grid Solar Cabin Simulator

Off-Grid Solar Cabin Simulator is an interactive diorama and resource management simulation based on real electrical engineering principles, as well as my own observed data from designing and building (...and redesigning and rebuilding) a real-life off-grid solar system, and living off of it continuously in the middle of the desert for the last several years.  The game is kind of relaxing but it can also get out of hand.

(Made April 22 - May 1 for Climate Jam 2021.)

(Design, Art, Programming, and Sound by Peter Nichols)

(Interface Design by Louise Chicoine)

Features:

• Buy and sell solar panels and batteries to achieve a balanced energy supply, day and night.
• Choose which appliances to plug in, and see how much energy they use, versus the “quality of life” they provide.
• Fairly accurate minute-to-minute photovoltaic energy simulation, based on the angle of the sun in each month.
• Sometimes there are cloudy days.
• Sometimes a big storm will blow one of your panels away.
• If you run out of power, everything will go crazy.
• Use your computer in your cabin to make your own off-grid solar simulation. The more comfortable your life is, the more progress you will make on your simulation.

How to Play:

• Your solar panels generate a certain Wattage determined by the number of panels and the position of the sun. (PV Input, bottom-left)
• The PV Input feeds your Battery Storage (bottom-center). The maximum capacity is determined by the number of batteries.
• You receive an allowance of Federal Energy Credits (top-left) at the beginning of each month, to spend on renewable energy components. (It’s the future.)
• Flip the breaker switches (bottom-right) to add or remove appliances. When plugged in, appliances turn themselves on and off according to typical human usage during various seasons. Mouse over an appliance to learn a little bit about it.
• The Load is the total Wattage of all the appliances running at a given instant (center-right). The Load draws from your Battery Storage.
• If your Battery Storage falls below 10% charge, power will automatically shut off to protect the batteries, until they can be recharged by the sun.
• Your “Quality of Life” is determined by the number and importance of the appliances you have plugged in – regardless of whether those appliances are actively in use or just in standby.
• If you have your PC plugged in, it will run for a few hours each evening. While it runs, you will make progress on developing a simulation of your cabin (top-center). The higher your “Quality of Life,” the more progress you will make each night.