strobel.digital.

SimpleSolar – an app for planning, buying
and running a balcony solar system.

Smartphone lying on a rock, showing the SimpleSolar live data screen with current solar output

SimpleSolar is a digital companion for private balcony solar systems, designed to make urban renewable energy both visible and usable. By connecting hardware with an intuitive app, it empowers users to monitor real-time energy production, track savings, and understand their environmental impact.

The platform offers clear insights into consumption patterns, adaptive tips for energy efficiency, and seamless integration with smart home systems. SimpleSolar lowers the barrier to green energy adoption in cities — making sustainability a part of everyday life, right from your balcony.

Context
Bachelor thesis, HfG Schwäbisch Gmünd
Services
Concept, UX Research, App Design
Year
2023/24
Design
Moritz Strobel
Supervision
Prof. Andreas Pollok, Prof. Hartmut Bohnacker
View in the HfG exhibition

The goal: to unlock the full potential of solar power from your own balcony. We researched what holds people back — and removed those hurdles in the app.

Six hurdles, six solutions

  1. Four onboarding screens with line illustrations: balcony with solar panel, installation, plug and household appliances

    Onboarding: explain first, ask later

    Many people have heard of balcony solar systems, but few know how simple they are. Before the app asks for anything, four illustrated screens explain the principle: mount the panels, plug them in, use the power at home.

  2. Checklist screen with three steps: determine number of panels, find mounting spots, get a purchase recommendation

    Checklist: three steps to the purchase

    The biggest hurdle is the purchase itself: how many panels, where to put them, which product? The checklist turns this decision into three small tasks and says upfront how many minutes each one takes.

  3. Three screens: balcony model with plus markers, compass for the panel direction and selection of the tilt angle

    Mounting spot: see the yield before buying

    How much a panel produces depends on direction and tilt — something hardly anyone can estimate. Users mark a spot on a model of their balcony, set both values, and the yield forecast in kilowatt hours updates with every step.

  4. Two screens: overview of possible mounting spots and the detail view of the south side with a forecast of 529 kWh

    Comparison: which side of the balcony?

    Most balconies offer more than one option, and the best one is rarely obvious. Several spots can be saved and compared side by side — each with forecast, number of panels, orientation, shading and tilt angle.

  5. Two phones: live data screen with 326 watts produced and 985 watts consumed, and a three-day production forecast

    Live data: making the power visible

    Once installed, a balcony solar system works silently — and nobody sees what it actually delivers. The key screen shows production and consumption in real time, the self-produced share and a forecast for the next three days.

  6. Screen with recommendations for when to run dishwasher, washing machine and dryer

    Recommendations: use the power while it is there

    Without a battery, every unused kilowatt hour flows into the grid for free. The app therefore suggests the best time window for dishwasher, washing machine and dryer.