Privacy Policy

1. Introduction

OneMinuteSolar ("we," "our," or "us") is committed to protecting your privacy. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, and safeguard your information when you use our rooftop solar calculator website.

By using our website, you consent to the data practices described in this policy. If you do not agree with our policies and practices, please do not use our website.

2. Information We Collect

2.1 Personal Information

We collect the following personal information when you use our solar calculator:

• Location Data: Zip code and address information
• Property Information: Square footage, year built, heating type, and home type (obtained from public sources)
• Utility Information: Your utility provider
• Vehicle Information: Whether you own an electric vehicle, if it's your primary vehicle, and charging habits
• Contact Information: Email address for follow-up communications
• Solar Calculations: Estimated solar panel size, costs, savings, and financial projections

2.2 Automatically Collected Information

We automatically collect certain information when you visit our website:

• Usage Data: Pages visited, time spent on pages, and navigation patterns
• Device Information: Browser type, operating system, and device identifiers
• IP Address: Your internet protocol address for security and analytics purposes

3. How We Use Your Information

We use the collected information for the following purposes:

• Essential Business Functions: To provide accurate solar panel sizing, cost estimates, and facilitate the email submission form for solar quotes (this form is essential for our business operations)
• Service Improvement: To enhance our calculator's accuracy and user experience
• Marketing Communications: To send you personalized information about solar energy solutions
• Analytics: To understand how users interact with our website (with consent)
• Security: To protect against fraud and ensure website security
• Legal Compliance: To comply with applicable laws and regulations
• Data Sharing: To share your information with partner solar companies for lead generation and business purposes

4. Data Sharing and Disclosure

IMPORTANT: By using our service, you explicitly consent to the sharing of your information with partner solar companies. This includes:

• Partner Solar Companies: We share your contact information, property details, solar calculations, and preferences with carefully selected solar installation companies and service providers
• Lead Generation: Your information may be used by our partners to contact you about solar installation services, financing options, and related products
• Data Sales: We may sell or license your information to third-party companies for marketing, research, or business development purposes
• Business Partnerships: Your data may be shared with companies that help us improve our services or expand our business offerings

Your Rights: You have the right to opt out of data sharing at any time by contacting us at saiallu@mit.edu or calling (781) 856-1258.

5. Data Storage and Retention

Your information is stored in the following ways:

• Browser Storage: Form data is temporarily stored in your browser's sessionStorage and localStorage
• Server Storage: We may store your information on our servers for business purposes, including data sharing with partners
• Third-Party APIs: We may use third-party services (like Google Maps and Zillow) to enhance our calculations
• Partner Systems: Your information may be stored in our partners' systems according to their privacy policies

Data retention periods:

• Session data: Deleted when you close your browser
• Local storage: Retained until you clear your browser data or for 30 days
• Server data: Retained for up to 2 years for business purposes
• Analytics data: Retained for up to 26 months (with consent)
• Partner data: Subject to partners' own retention policies

6. Third-Party Services and Partners

We use the following third-party services:

• Google Maps API: For address autocomplete and geocoding
• Zillow API: For property information retrieval
• Google Analytics: For website analytics (with consent)
• Partner Solar Companies: For lead generation and service provision
• Data Brokers: For data licensing and sales purposes

These services and partners have their own privacy policies, and we encourage you to review them. We are not responsible for the privacy practices of our partners or third-party services.

7. Your Rights (GDPR Compliance)

Under the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), you have the following rights:

• Right to Access: Request information about what personal data we hold about you
• Right to Rectification: Request correction of inaccurate personal data
• Right to Erasure: Request deletion of your personal data (note: this may not affect data already shared with partners)
• Right to Restrict Processing: Request limitation of how we process your data
• Right to Data Portability: Request a copy of your data in a structured format
• Right to Object: Object to processing of your personal data, including data sharing with partners
• Right to Withdraw Consent: Withdraw consent for data processing at any time
• Right to Opt Out: Opt out of data sharing with partners at any time

To exercise these rights, contact us at saiallu@mit.edu or call us at (781) 856-1258

8. Cookies and Tracking

We use cookies and similar technologies for:

• Essential Cookies: Required for website functionality
• Analytics Cookies: To understand website usage (with consent)
• Marketing Cookies: To send you personalized communications and track lead generation (with consent)
• Preference Cookies: To remember your settings and choices
• Partner Tracking: To track interactions with partner companies and measure lead quality

You can control cookie settings through your browser or our cookie consent banner.

9. Data Security

We implement appropriate security measures to protect your information:

• HTTPS encryption for all data transmission
• Regular security assessments and updates
• Limited access to personal data on a need-to-know basis
• Secure hosting and infrastructure
• Data sharing agreements with partners that include security requirements

10. Children's Privacy

Our website is not intended for children under 13 years of age. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13. If you are a parent or guardian and believe your child has provided us with personal information, please contact us.

11. International Data Transfers

Your information may be transferred to and processed in countries other than your own, including when shared with our partners. We ensure appropriate safeguards are in place for such transfers in compliance with applicable data protection laws.

12. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. We will notify you of any changes by posting the new Privacy Policy on this page and updating the "Last updated" date. We encourage you to review this policy periodically.

13. Contact Us

If you have any questions about this Privacy Policy or our data practices, please contact us:

14. Legal Basis for Processing (GDPR)

We process your personal data based on the following legal grounds:

• Consent: For analytics, marketing, and data sharing with partners
• Legitimate Interest: For providing our solar calculator service, business development, and lead generation
• Contract Performance: To fulfill our service obligations
• Legal Obligation: To comply with applicable laws