I have integrated a caching mechanism into my Flask application using the Flask-Caching extension. By configuring SimpleCache with a five-minute timeout, my /api/irradiance endpoint now efficiently stores and retrieves irradiance data based on unique query parameters. This enhancement significantly reduces redundant requests to the NASA POWER API, improving response times and optimizing resource usage. The caching implementation ensures that repeated requests with identical parameters within the cache duration are served swiftly from the cache, thereby enhancing the overall performance and scalability of my application.

Additionally, I fortified the security of my Flask API by implementing Basic Authentication with the help of the Flask-HTTPAuth extension. By defining a secure user store with hashed passwords, I restricted access to the /api/irradiance endpoint, ensuring that only authorized users can retrieve sensitive irradiance data. This authentication layer prevents unauthorized access and protects my API from potential misuse. The testing of both authenticated and unauthorized access attempts confirms that my API is now both performant and secure, laying a strong foundation for further development and deployment of my solar energy project.