New pvnode 2.0 is here
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· 5 min read ·Darwin Daume

Nowcasting, Self-Service & a New Dashboard: 3 Updates for pvnode

Nowcasting for /forecast, self-service checkout with a Hobbyist plan, and a redesigned dashboard. What's changing at pvnode — and how you can get started right away.

Nowcasting, Self-Service & a New Dashboard: 3 Updates for pvnode

Over the past few weeks we've been working on three fronts at once — and all the new features are now live: nowcasting for the /forecast endpoint, a self-service checkout with a new Hobbyist plan, and a completely redesigned dashboard including the Studio.

TL;DR

  • Nowcasting is live — the forecast is recalculated every 10 minutes with real-time satellite data, accessible through the same /forecast endpoint.
  • Self-service checkout instead of a contact form — including a new Hobbyist plan for private users.
  • New dashboard & Studio — faster navigation, JSON export, a feedback button, and location elevation in the responses.

1. Nowcasting for /forecast

The biggest technical leap: with nowcasting enabled, we recalculate your forecast every 10 minutes based on current satellite data. This tracks cloud movements in real time — exactly what often gets lost with classic weather models that update hourly or every three hours.

Important for the integration: it stays the same endpoint and the same fields. No second API, no new parameters. Your existing client keeps working unchanged — the data quality improves automatically as soon as you switch to a plan with nowcasting.

import requests

url = 'https://api.pvnode.com/v1/forecast/'
params = {
    "latitude": 47.84812,
    "longitude": 12.06231,
    "slope": 30,
    "orientation": 180
    # "nowcast": False  # Optional: disables nowcasting for this request
}
headers = {
    'Authorization': f'Bearer {YOUR_API_KEY}'
}

response = requests.get(url, headers=headers, params=params)
data = response.json()
print(data)

curl -G "https://api.pvnode.com/v1/forecast/" \
     -H "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_API_KEY" \
     -d "latitude=47.84812" \
     -d "longitude=12.06231" \
     -d "slope=30" \
     -d "orientation=180"

const url = new URL('https://api.pvnode.com/v1/forecast/');
url.search = new URLSearchParams({
    latitude: 47.84812,
    longitude: 12.06231,
    slope: 30,
    orientation: 180
    // nowcast: false // Optional: disables nowcasting
}).toString();

const response = await fetch(url, {
    headers: {
        'Authorization': `Bearer ${YOUR_API_KEY}`
    }
});
const data = await response.json();
console.log(data);

A few details that matter before you switch over:

  • Regional availability: nowcasting is currently available in selected regions. Outside Europe we update every 15 minutes, provided the corresponding nowcasting data is available.
  • No code change needed — switching plans is enough.

Note: Nowcasting is included in the Hobbyist + Nowcasting and Pro + Nowcasting plans. Without a nowcasting plan, you'll continue to receive the reliable standard forecast via /forecast.

2. Self-Service Checkout and New Pricing Models

Previously, you had to get in touch directly to gain access to pvnode. That made sense at first to understand who was using our API and for what purposes. At the same time, it was also a hurdle for everyone who wanted to start right away.

From now on, you can select a plan directly at pvnode.com/#pricing and get started without detours.

With the self-service launch, we're also introducing new plans:

  • Hobbyist — ideal for owners of a single PV system or private individuals with individual locations. The perfect entry point for anyone who needs precise forecasts without having to commit to a business plan straight away.
  • Pro — the standard for integrations and commercial use, combinable with nowcasting and soon with a pay-per-use option for users with many locations.

Start with Pro + Nowcasting

All new users currently start on the Pro + Nowcasting plan with 5 locations. This lets you test the data quality directly at the highest level. Afterwards, you can switch at any time to the plan that best fits your use case.

Why the Hobbyist plan is close to our heart: PV forecasts shouldn't be a pure B2B luxury good. Anyone who wants to charge their EV smartly or optimize their storage shouldn't fail because of an enterprise contract. You get the same data quality and the same engine — just scaled differently.

3. Dashboard, Studio & Landing Page Completely Redesigned

The third major update concerns our entire web presence. Not only the dashboard, the Studio and the auth pages have a new design — our landing page has been completely redesigned too. With this, we want to emphasize our current focus on highly precise forecast data more strongly and make it even easier for users to immediately understand what they can achieve with pvnode. We've also added a few concrete features that we ourselves had been missing in daily use.

The most important changes at a glance:

  • New landing page & clear dashboard — the landing page now communicates our focus more clearly than ever. On the dashboard, navigation is now especially clear: with just one click, API users get to their API keys or the documentation, and Studio users go straight to the Studio.
  • Reworked auth flows — login, registration and password reset have been redesigned to make them significantly clearer.
  • Feedback button in the dashboard — send us your feedback directly from within the application, without having to write an email. If you notice something: let us know.
  • New charts — the dashboard provides new charts for better visualization of your data.
  • JSON export in addition to CSV and XLSX — for everyone who doesn't want to first prepare forecasts but integrate them directly into their system.
  • Location elevation — the elevation above sea level is now displayed directly after a request.

What This Means for You

If you already use pvnode: there are no breaking changes, everything works as usual. Nowcasting is an optional extension via your plan, and the new dashboard is available to you immediately. Users on a custom plan are welcome to contact us for a nowcasting update.

If you're not using pvnode yet: now is the ideal time. Thanks to the self-service checkout and 5 locations in the "Pro + Nowcasting" tier for testing, you'll have access in just a few minutes to forecast data that updates every 10 minutes, and much more.

Get Started Directly

Select a plan, generate an API key, and get going. The documentation for the /forecast endpoint shows you how to complete the integration in under 5 minutes.

If you have questions or feedback about the updates, you can use the feedback button in the dashboard at any time — we read everything carefully. We're especially curious to see what solutions you'll build with nowcasting.