POWER NOW — the refined instrument

Concept 2. The premium evolution of the bar you already have: same "fill toward a realistic peak" model, raised to instrument grade. A ruled baseline scale, a quiet TYPICAL reference caret so now vs peak vs typical reads in one look, a shape-encoded confidence band, and the relabel from "FORECAST RIGHT NOW" to THIS HOUR.
All meaning is carried by position, shape, and fill length, never hue alone (colorblind-safe). The big 76px "kWh today" stays the screen's focal point; the power block sits at the bottom and supports it.
State A · Low output — early sun
12.4 kWh today
11.0 – 13.6 kWh
High confidence
36.1699, -115.1398
This hour
Modeled output
Confidence
High
1.8 kW 28% of peak
Typical
0
2.1
Peak6.5 kW
Below typical for this hour
i
Today in detail
State B · Peak sun — near 100%
28.9 kWh today
27.1 – 30.2 kWh
High confidence
36.1699, -115.1398
This hour
Modeled output
Confidence
High
6.3 kW 97% of peak
Typical
0
6.0
Peak6.5 kW
At your typical best for this hour
i
Today in detail
State C · Cloud dip — wide band
19.7 kWh today
15.2 – 24.0 kWh
Lower confidence
36.1699, -115.1398
This hour
Modeled output
Confidence
Lower
3.1 kW 48% of peak
Typical
0
5.3
Peak6.5 kW
A passing cloud, wide range this hour
i
Today in detail

Why this reads better

  • One look, three facts. The fill is now, the right terminus is peak, the caret is typical for this hour. "Am I doing well right now?" is answered by where the gold lands relative to the caret, no thinking.
  • A real ruler, not decoration. The old quarter ticks meant nothing. Now the baseline is graduated 0 → peak in kW, so the bar length is a measured quantity, not a vibe.
  • Uncertainty has a shape. The brighter inset band is the honest lo–hi range for this hour. A clear sky shows a thin band; a passing cloud (State C) shows a wide one. Read by width, not color.
  • Colorblind-safe by construction. Caret (shape), band edges (position), peak terminus (position), and spelled-out kW / % all survive with no hue at all.
  • The hero stays the hero. The current-output number is 54px, kept under the 76px "kWh today" so the day total still wins the first glance.
  • The label fix. THIS HOUR with a quiet "modeled output" qualifier. Honest (it is a forecast, not a meter) and unambiguous.
Now — fill length = this hour's output
Range — brighter inset = lo–hi this hour
Typical — caret = your usual for this hour
Peak — right terminus = realistic clear-sky best