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Privacy Policy

Effective date: February 7, 2026 · Last updated: February 7, 2026

Summary: Volcast is a solar forecasting app. We collect only the data necessary to provide accurate PV forecasts and smart notifications. We do not use analytics or tracking SDKs, serve ads, or sell your data to third parties.

1. Data Controller

The data controller for Volcast is Volcast ("we", "us", "our").

  • Contact email: hello@volcast.app
  • Website: volcast.app

For any privacy-related inquiries, data access requests, or complaints, please contact us at the email address above.

2. Data We Collect

2.1 Account Information

When you create an account, we collect:

  • Email address — used for authentication, password recovery, and essential service communications
  • Password — stored as a bcrypt hash; we never store or see your plain-text password
  • Google account ID — if you sign in via Google OAuth (we receive your name and email; we do not access your Google contacts, calendar, or other data)
  • Display name — optional, set by you

2.2 PV System Configuration

To generate solar forecasts, we collect details about your photovoltaic installation:

  • Panel capacity (kWp), orientation (azimuth), tilt angle
  • Number of panels, wattage, cell technology
  • Mounting type, installation age, efficiency factors

2.3 Location Data

We request foreground GPS location permission during the system setup wizard to detect your PV installation's coordinates. This is optional — you can enter coordinates manually instead. We store:

  • Latitude, longitude, and altitude of your PV installation (rounded to ~11 m precision)
  • Location name (e.g., city or address you provide)

We do not track your real-time location, collect background location data, or build movement profiles. Location data is used solely to fetch weather forecasts for your installation site from the Open-Meteo weather API.

2.4 Production Data

If you manually log your actual solar production for calibration purposes, we store:

  • Daily actual production values (kWh) with corresponding dates
  • Calibration metrics derived from comparing actual vs. forecast data

2.5 Preferences & Settings

  • Preferred language, timezone
  • Notification preferences (which alerts are enabled, thresholds, preferred alert time)
  • Selected appliances for production window alerts
  • Onboarding/tutorial completion state

2.6 Push Notification Token

If you enable notifications, we store your device's Expo Push Token to deliver push notifications. This token is a device identifier specific to our app — it cannot be used to identify you personally or track you across other apps.

2.7 Purchase Information

Premium purchases are processed through Apple App Store or Google Play Store via RevenueCat. We store only your purchase status (premium or free) and entitlement. We do not process or store your payment card details — these are handled entirely by Apple/Google.

2.8 Waitlist Email

If you join our waitlist on the landing page, we collect your email address and the source (e.g., "landing"). This email is used only to notify you about Volcast launch and early access.

2.9 Data We Do NOT Collect

  • We do not use any analytics or tracking SDKs (no Google Analytics, Firebase Analytics, Amplitude, Mixpanel, Sentry, or similar)
  • We do not serve advertisements or use ad networks
  • We do not collect browsing history, contacts, photos, or microphone/camera data
  • We do not track your real-time or background location
  • We do not create advertising profiles or share data with data brokers

3. How We Use Your Data

Purpose Data Used Legal Basis (GDPR)
Account creation & authentication Email, password hash, Google ID Contract performance (Art. 6(1)(b))
PV production forecasting System config, location, weather data Contract performance (Art. 6(1)(b))
Auto-calibration of forecasts Actual production data, historical weather Contract performance (Art. 6(1)(b))
Push notifications Push token, alert preferences, forecast data Consent (Art. 6(1)(a)) — you explicitly enable notifications
Premium feature access Purchase status (via RevenueCat) Contract performance (Art. 6(1)(b))
Waitlist sign-up Email address Consent (Art. 6(1)(a))
Debugging & service reliability Error logs (anonymized) Legitimate interest (Art. 6(1)(f))
Security (rate limiting, fraud prevention) Login attempt counts, timestamps Legitimate interest (Art. 6(1)(f))

4. Data Storage & Security

4.1 Server-Side

  • All user data is stored in Supabase (hosted on AWS infrastructure)
  • All data is transmitted over HTTPS/TLS
  • Passwords are hashed with bcrypt (Supabase Auth built-in)
  • All database tables enforce Row-Level Security (RLS) — each user can only access their own data
  • Database functions use auth.uid() verification to prevent unauthorized access
  • Authentication uses PKCE flow (Proof Key for Code Exchange)

4.2 On-Device

  • Authentication tokens are stored in the device's encrypted secure storage (Keychain on iOS, Keystore on Android)
  • Forecast cache and UI preferences are stored in AsyncStorage (app-local, not accessible by other apps)
  • Production builds strip all console logs to prevent data leakage via device logs

5. Data Retention

Data Type Retention Period
Account & profile data Until account deletion
PV system configuration Until account deletion
Manual production entries Until account deletion
Forecast cache 15 minutes (auto-refreshed)
Forecast snapshots Until account deletion
Calibration logs Until account deletion
Waitlist email Until launch or unsubscribe request
On-device cache (AsyncStorage) Until app uninstall or cache clear

You can delete your account at any time from Settings > Account > Delete Account in the app. Alternatively, you can request deletion by emailing hello@volcast.app. Upon deletion, all your personal data is permanently removed from our servers within 30 days.

6. Third-Party Services

We share data with the following third-party services only as necessary to provide our core features:

Service Purpose Data Shared Location
Supabase Database, authentication, serverless functions All account and app data AWS (US/EU)
Open-Meteo Weather forecasts for PV production Installation coordinates only Germany (EU)
Google OAuth Optional sign-in method Email, name (from Google) US
Expo Push Service Delivering push notifications Push token, notification content US
RevenueCat In-app purchase management Anonymous user ID, purchase status US
Apple App Store / Google Play App distribution, payment processing Purchase transactions US

We do not share, sell, rent, or trade your personal data with any other third parties, data brokers, or advertising networks.

7. International Data Transfers

Some of our service providers are located outside the European Economic Area (EEA). When your data is transferred outside the EEA, we ensure appropriate safeguards are in place:

  • Standard Contractual Clauses (SCCs) — as adopted by the European Commission, are in place with our US-based service providers (Supabase, Expo, RevenueCat)
  • EU-US Data Privacy Framework — where applicable, our service providers participate in and have certified compliance with the framework
  • Adequacy decisions — data shared with Open-Meteo remains within the EU (Germany)

8. Your Rights (GDPR)

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

  • Right of access (Art. 15) — request a copy of all personal data we hold about you
  • Right to rectification (Art. 16) — correct inaccurate or incomplete data
  • Right to erasure (Art. 17) — request deletion of your personal data ("right to be forgotten")
  • Right to restriction (Art. 18) — request that we limit processing of your data
  • Right to data portability (Art. 20) — receive your data in a structured, machine-readable format
  • Right to object (Art. 21) — object to processing based on legitimate interest
  • Right to withdraw consent (Art. 7(3)) — withdraw consent at any time for consent-based processing (e.g., push notifications)

To exercise any of these rights, email us at hello@volcast.app. We will respond within 30 days. If we need additional time (up to 60 additional days for complex requests), we will inform you.

You also have the right to lodge a complaint with your local data protection authority. In Poland, this is the President of the Personal Data Protection Office (UODO) (uodo.gov.pl).

9. Cookies & Local Storage

The Volcast mobile app does not use cookies.

The Volcast website (volcast.app) does not use cookies or third-party tracking scripts. The waitlist form communicates directly with our database API.

On-device, the app uses platform-native storage mechanisms (AsyncStorage, SecureStore) to cache forecasts, store your session, and remember your preferences. This data never leaves your device except for authentication tokens sent to our servers over HTTPS.

10. Children's Privacy

Volcast is not intended for use by children under the age of 16. We do not knowingly collect personal data from children under 16. If you are a parent or guardian and believe your child has provided us with personal data, please contact us at hello@volcast.app and we will promptly delete the data.

11. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. When we make significant changes, we will:

  • Update the "Last updated" date at the top of this page
  • Notify you via push notification or email for material changes
  • Provide the previous version for comparison upon request

Continued use of Volcast after changes constitutes acceptance of the updated policy.

12. Contact Us

If you have questions about this Privacy Policy or how we handle your data:

  • Email: hello@volcast.app
  • Website: volcast.app
Volcast — Solar forecasting app
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