Editorial Policy, Authors and Simulation Methodology
How the PVAlign Editorial Team researches solar guides, tests simulator examples, uses sources, handles AI assistance, and corrects errors.
This page explains who publishes PVAlign content, how technical claims are researched, how simulator examples are produced, and how corrections are handled.
Last reviewed: August 9, 2026
What we publish
PVAlign publishes beginner-friendly solar explanations, system-planning guides, renewable-energy news, and original experiments that readers can reproduce in the browser-based simulator. Every page should help a reader understand a specific question or test a meaningful system relationship.
How sources are selected
Primary technical sources
Manufacturer datasheets, installation manuals, standards bodies, electrical-code authorities, and official safety guidance are preferred for component ratings, limits, and installation requirements.
Public research and energy agencies
PVAlign uses publications and tools from organizations such as the U.S. Department of Energy and the National Renewable Energy Laboratory when explaining photovoltaic performance, losses, reliability, and system planning.
Clearly labeled calculations
Worked examples and simulator outputs are identified as calculations or estimates. They are kept separate from facts attributed to outside sources so readers can see which result comes from which assumption.
Links are placed near the relevant claim or in a clearly named sources section. For news, the original announcement, agency, company, or research publication is preferred over a chain of summaries. A source link is not an endorsement.
Simulation and calculation methodology
PVAlign's simulator uses component settings, conductor properties, connection topology, environmental inputs, and time progression to estimate steady-state voltage, current, power, energy, losses, temperatures, operating states, and protection outcomes. Examples in articles state the important inputs so a reader can reproduce them and change one variable at a time.
Results are checked for internal consistency with the implemented equations and limits, but they are not laboratory measurements. Models simplify real controls, transient events, aging, installation workmanship, local weather, and manufacturer-specific behavior. Displayed decimal places are not a claim of measurement accuracy.
Use PVAlign for education, comparison, and preliminary planning. Before buying, wiring, permitting, or energizing real equipment, verify current manufacturer documents, site conditions, applicable codes, and qualified professional advice.
AI-assisted work
Automated and AI-assisted tools may help organize research, draft or edit text, create code, and identify questions that need checking. A page is not described as human-written merely because its wording was edited. AI output is never treated as evidence: factual claims need an identified source, and simulator claims need a clearly described, reproducible setup. Generic drafts, duplicated topics, and old announcements presented as current news are removed from publication.
Updates and corrections
Articles may be updated when the simulator changes, a source is superseded, or a clearer explanation becomes available. Material revisions receive an updated review date when the page metadata supports it. If a factual, calculation, link, or attribution error is found, PVAlign aims to correct it rather than silently preserve a misleading statement.
To report a possible error, include the page URL, the statement or result in question, and a supporting source through the official channels on the contact page.