Project Brief - Battery Simulation Tool

Version: 0.3.0
Date: 2026-03-08
Status: Active prototype

1. Overview

The Battery Simulation Tool is a browser-based analysis page for the website. It lets a user upload historical household energy data and simulate how a home battery could have changed import, export, self-consumption, and indicative savings.

The project is intended to stay compatible with static hosting. Core parsing, simulation, KPI calculation, and visualization run fully in the browser.

The current public prototype is motivated by a practical question: whether buying a home battery around 2027 could make sense once the Dutch net-metering scheme ends, based on historical HomeWizard P1 meter data.

2. Objective

Create a practical decision-support tool that:

• works on a static website
• keeps uploaded energy data local by default
• helps users test battery assumptions without backend complexity
• presents technical and financial outputs clearly

3. Product Framing

This is a simulation and analysis tool, not a live control product.

It should feel closer to a lightweight browser-based energy analysis workspace than to a marketing calculator.

4. MVP Scope

Included in current prototype:

• CSV upload from local device
• HomeWizard-oriented parsing
• column detection with fallback mapping
• one battery scenario at a time
• manual battery parameters
• manual import/export pricing
• deterministic interval simulation
• KPI summary cards
• 2 to 3 interactive Plotly graphs
• local-only processing for the base workflow

Excluded from MVP:

• live smart charging
• real battery API integration
• user accounts
• cloud storage
• advanced degradation modeling
• multi-scenario side-by-side comparison
• external dynamic tariff integration

5. Primary User Value

The user should be able to answer questions such as:

• Would a battery have reduced my grid import?
• How much export would likely have been stored instead?
• How much of the battery would actually have been used?
• Under simple pricing assumptions, does the scenario look financially interesting?

6. Visual/Product Direction

The page should balance technical clarity and accessibility:

• short explanation at the top
• upload and validation first
• battery settings second
• KPI cards before charts
• interactive graphs for detailed inspection
• assumptions and limitations visible, not hidden

7. Release Intent

The current release should stay focused on one reliable simulation flow with one common CSV format, manual pricing, and a compact result set that stays understandable for non-technical users.

Later phases may add:

• saved presets
• multiple scenario comparison
• richer aggregation views
• optional external price data
• more strategy modes