User can access the Design Settings page from the Solar Labs Design Studio page.
Click on the settings icon on the bottom left of your design studio screen. A Defaults Settings pop-up page page will appear on the screen.
SETTINGS
Click on Settings to explore below fields:
A. General
Click on General under Settings field to select the General tab
Solar Access Threshold
Input the desired value in the Solar Access Threshold box
Show Structures Toggle
Click on the Show Structures toggle button to show/hide the structures in the 3D view.
High Resolution Shadows Toggle
Click on the High Resolution Shadows toggle button to show/hide the high resolution shadows in the design studio while using Sun Simulation.
Time Consideration for Row Spacing (Solar Time)
User can input the start and end time to be considered by software for row spacing.
Start Time
Click on the Start Time to choose your time in hour and minutes from the 24 hour format.
End Time
Click on the End Time to choose your time in hour and minutes from the 24 hour format.
Measurement Units
User can choose from the different measurement units for distance and wiring.
Distance Unit
Select the desired distance unit from mentioned units from Meter and Feet & Inches option
Wiring Unit
Select the desired wiring unit from AWG and Sq.mm. options.
Time Consideration for Heat Map (IST)
Heat Map is generated for an entire year by the software.
B. Losses
Click on Losses under Settings field to select the Losses tab. You'll find below options in the Losses field:
Soiling Losses
Input the soiling losses value in the text box next to the Soiling Loss field.
Mismatch Losses
Input the overall plant mismatch losses value in the text box next to the Mismatch Loss field.
LID Losses
Input the LID (Light Induced Degradation) losses value in the text box next to the LID Loss field.
DC Ohmic Losses
Input the DC ohmic losses value in the text box next to the DC Ohmic Loss field.
AC Ohmic Losses
Input the AC ohmic losses value in the text box next to the AC Ohmic Loss field.
Unavailability Losses
Input the unavailability losses value in the text box next to the Unavailability Loss field.
Module Degradation Losses
Input the module degradation losses value in the text box next to the Module Degradation Rate field.
Inverter Efficiency Losses
Input the inverter efficiency losses value in the text box next to the Inverter Efficiency Loss field.
Derating Factor
Input the derating factor value in the text box next to the Derating Factor field.
C. Auto Panel Placement
Click on the Auto Panel Placement tab under the Settings field.
Default Table Types for Auto Panel Placement
This section shows the table for pre-defined module orientations, table sizes, module spacings and module heights for portrait and landscape placeable area.
Add New Table
Add New Table section allows the user to add new table for Fill Face using below fields:
Panel Orientation
Choose Landscape or Portrait orientation in the Panel Orientation field.
Table Size Up
Table Size Up value lets you choose the number of rows for your table.
Table Size Wide
Table Size Wide value lets you choose the number of columns for your table.
Module Spacing Up
Module Spacing Up is the distance between two rows of the modules in a table.
Module Spacing Wide
Module Spacing Wide is the distance between two columns of the modules in a table.
Mount Height
Mount Height value needs to be input for the height of the table required in the design.
D. Report
Click on the Report tab under the Settings field.
Data for 3D Model
Data for 3D Model lets user to show/hide below mentioned data in the 3D model link:
Generation:
Click on the Generation toggle to show/hide the generation values in the 3D model.
Financials:
Click on the Financials toggle to show/hide the generation values in the 3D model.
Time Consideration for Shadow Analysis (IST)
Time Consideration for Shadow Analysis can be defined for your report.
Start Time:
Click on the Start Time field to choose your start time in hour and minutes from the 24 hour format.
End Time:
Click on the End Time field to choose your end time in hour and minutes from the 24 hour format.
Pages
Pages field allows user to select or deselect below mentioned pages to add or eliminate from the report:
Title:
The Title page of the report shows the project information with an integrated 3D link.
About Us:
The About Us page of the report shows the brief about your company that you filled in your organization profile section.
System Metric:
The System Metric page of the report shows the generation values for your design.
Savings:
The Savings page of the report shows the estimated savings in graphical format along with Payback Period, Internal rate of return and Payback period. Other than that, this page also highlights Price, Tax, LCOE and Expected life of the Solar Power plant.
Components:
The Components page of the report shows the description and quantities of the components used in the design. It also shows the manually added Bill of Materials on the Design Summary page.
Monthly Production:
The Monthly Production page of the report shows the generation for each month in graphical as well as numerical values in kWh.
Monthly Savings:
The Monthly Savings page of the report shows the savings for each month in graphical as well as numerical values in respective currency.
Monthly Table:
The Monthly Table page of the report shows the monthly as well as annual irradiation, PR and generation values.
Field Segments:
The Field Segments page of the report shows the field segment(s) created in the design studios.
Heat Map:
The Heat Map page of the report shows the Heat Map and Solar Access image highlighting the heating and irradiation value respectively with the help of color scale.
Shadow Analysis:
The Shadow Analysis page of the report shows the images of shadow travel for the start and end time for June 21st and December 21st.
Losses:
The Losses page of the report shows the Irradiation Losses, DC Losses and AC Losses for your design.
Bill with & Without Solar:
Bill with and without Solar page of the report shows the estimated annual electricity bill with and without solar for next 25 years
Environmental Impact:
The Environmental Impact page of the report shows the numeric values for different areas depicting how going with solar will affect the environment.
Thank You:
The Thank You page of the report shows the Thank You message along with your organization logo and details.
Report Custom Colors
Report colors can be chosen at three different levels; Primary, Secondary and Tertiary by following the below steps:
Click on the color box for the respective level
Choose your color either by dragging the color palette bar or by picking the color by clicking on the pick icon.
OBJECTS
Click on the Objects tab to explore the below mentioned fields:
A. Models
Click on the Models tab under the to explore the below mentioned Solar Labs model tools:
Polygon
Click on Polygon under the Models section to check/edit the below mentioned polygon tool properties:
Base Height
Base Height is the lower height of the polygon.
User can choose to click on Auto for automatic height adjustment according to the tilt given.
Input the base height for your new polygons to be reflected in the design.
Top Height
Top Height is the upper height of the polygon.
User can choose to click on Auto for automatic height adjustment according to the tilt given.
Input the top height for your new polygons to be reflected in the design.
Tilt
Input the tilt for your new polygons to be reflected in the design.
For flat roofs, keep the Tilt as 0.
Azimuth
Input the Azimuth for your new polygons to be reflected in the design.
It is suggested to choose the azimuth for tilted roofs after creating the polygon.
Parapet Height
Parapet Height is the height of the boundary of the polygon.
Input the parapet height for your new polygons to be reflected in the design.
Parapet Thickness
Parapet Thickness is the thickness of the boundary wall of the polygon.
Input the parapet thickness for your new polygons to be reflected in the design.
Setback Inside
Setback Inside is the distance between modules and the polygon inside boundary.
Input the setback inside for your new polygons to be reflected in the design.
Setback Outside
Setback Outside is the distance between modules and the polygon outside boundary.
Input the setback outside for your new polygons to be reflected in the design.
Setback outside is usually used for obstacles.
Placeable
Placeable feature defines whether the modules need to be placed on the polygon(s) or not.
Turn on the placeable toggle to mark your polygons placeable as default.
Ignored Toggle
Ignored feature defines whether the modules need to be placed on the polygon(s) or not.
This feature is usually used for low height obstacles.
Turn on the ignored toggle to mark your polygons ignored as default.
Cylinder
Click on Cylinder under the Models section to check/edit the below mentioned cylinder tool properties
Base Height
Base Height is the lower height of the cylinder.
User can choose to click on Auto for automatic height adjustment according to the tilt given.
Input the base height for your new cylinders to be reflected in the design.
Top Height
Top Height is the upper height of the cylinder.
User can choose to click on Auto for automatic height adjustment according to the tilt given.
Input the top height for your new cylinder to be reflected in the design.
Tilt
Input the tilt for your new cylinders to be reflected in the design.
Azimuth
Input the Azimuth for your new cylinders to be reflected in the design.
Parapet Height
Parapet Height is the height of the boundary of the cylinder.
Input the parapet height for your new cylinders to be reflected in the design.
Parapet Thickness
Parapet Thickness is the thickness of the boundary wall of the cylinder.
Input the parapet thickness for your new cylinders to be reflected in the design.
Setback Inside
Setback Inside is the distance between modules and the cylinder inside boundary.
Input the setback inside for your new cylinders to be reflected in the design.
Setback Outside
Setback Outside is the distance between modules and the cylinder outside boundary.
Input the setback outside for your new cylinders to be reflected in the design.
Placeable
Placeable feature defines whether the modules need to be placed on the cylinder(s) or not.
Turn on the placeable toggle to mark your cylinders placeable as default.
Ignored Toggle
Ignored feature defines whether the modules need to be placed on the cylinder(s) or not.
This feature is usually used for low height obstacles.
Turn on the ignored toggle to mark your cylinders ignored as default.
Smartroof
Click on Smartroof under the Models section to check/edit the below mentioned Smartroof tool properties:
Base Height
Base Height is the lower height of the smartroof.
Input the base height for your new smartroofs to be reflected in the design.
Tilt
Input the tilt for your new smartroofs to be reflected in the design.
Setback Inside
Setback Inside is the distance between modules and the smartroof inside boundary.
Input the setback inside for your new smartroofs to be reflected in the design.
Dormer
Click on Dormer under the Models section to check/edit the below mentioned Dormer tool properties:
Tilt
Input the tilt for your new dormers to be reflected in the design
Setback Outside
Setback Outside is the distance between modules and the dormer outside boundary.
Input the setback outside for your new dormers to be reflected in the design.
Walkways
Walkways are generally used on the tilted roofs for installation and maintenance purposes.
Click on Walkways under the Models section to check/edit the below mentioned walkway tool properties:
Core Height
Core Height is the overall height of the walkway.
Input the Core Height for your new walkways to be reflected in the design.
Width
Width is the overall width of the walkway.
Input the Width for your new walkways to be reflected in the design.
Tree
Trees come in handy while creating designs for shadow analysis while providing better aesthetics to the design.
Click on Tree under the Models section to check/edit the below mentioned tree tool properties
Trunk Height
Trunk Height is the height of the trunk of the tree.
Input the Trunk Height for your new trees to be reflected in the design.
Crown Height
Crown Height is the height of the crown of the tree (leafy area).
Input the Crown Height for your new trees to be reflected in the design.
B. Subarray
Subarray is one of the key parts for Solar Labs design studio. It helps users to pre-define various fields for their design to improve the efficiency of the design creation.
Click on Subarray tab on the Defaults Settings pop-up page to view/edit the below mentioned fields:
Fixed Mount
Fixed Mount is generally used for RCC and ground mount panel placements.
Default
Click on the Default toggle to mark/unmark Fixed Mount as default panel placement type.
Panel
Click on the Panel dropdown to choose your modules by filtering various modules with the help of module make, minimum & maximum wattage.
Click on your module to select the module for your new designs.
Structure Type
Click on the Structure Type dropdown to choose your structure type from the dropdown menu.
Click on your structure type to select the structure for your new designs.
Tilt
Input the tilt you want for your modules for your new designs.
Azimuth
Input the azimuth for your modules/tables for your new designs.
It is suggested to choose azimuth after placing the modules on the polygon.
Row Spacing Mode
Row Spacing is the spacing between the modules for two adjacent rows.
User can choose from Auto and Manual row spacing modes.
Table Spacing
User can input the Table Spacing as desired for their new designs.
Table Size Up
Table Size Up is the number of rows a user wants in their table.
Input the numeric value for the desired number of rows for your tables.
Table Size Wide
Table Size Wide is the number of columns a user wants in their table.
Input the numeric value for the desired number of columns for your tables.
Panel Orientation
User can choose the panel orientation from Landscape and Portrait orientations for their designs.
Mount Height
Mount Height is the lower height of the table.
User can input the numeric value for the mount height of their module tables.
Module Spacing Up
Module Spacing Up is the distance between two adjacent module rows of a particular table.
User can input the numeric value for the space needed between two adjacent module rows in a table.
Module Spacing Wide
Module Spacing Wide is the distance between two adjacent module columns of a particular table.
User can input the numeric value for the space needed between two adjacent module columns in a table.
Flush Mount
Flush Mount is generally used for tilted and shed type panel placements mountings.
Default
Click on the Default toggle to mark/unmark Flush Mount as default panel placement type.
Panel
Click on the Panel dropdown to choose your modules by filtering various modules with the help of module make, minimum & maximum wattage.
Click on your module to select the module for your new designs.
Structure Type
Structure type for the flush mount is not required as the distance between modules and polygons is very less.
Tilt
Tilt for the flush mount structures will be automatically calculated as per the tilt of the placeable polygon.
Azimuth
Azimuth for the flush mount structures will be automatically calculated as per the azimuth of the placeable polygon.
Row Spacing
Row Spacing is the spacing between the modules for two adjacent rows.
User can input the desired row spacing for two adjacent rows.
Table Spacing
User can input the Table Spacing as desired for their new designs.
Table Size Up
Table Size Up is the number of rows a user wants in their table.
Input the numeric value for the desired number of rows for your tables.
Table Size Wide
Table Size Wide is the number of columns a user wants in their table.
Input the numeric value for the desired number of columns for your tables.
Panel Orientation
User can choose the panel orientation from Landscape and Portrait orientations for their designs.
Mount Height
Mount Height is the lower height of the table.
User can input the numeric value for the mount height of their module tables.
Module Spacing Up
Module Spacing Up is the distance between two adjacent module rows of a particular table.
User can input the numeric value for the space needed between two adjacent module rows in a table.
Module Spacing Wide
Module Spacing Wide is the distance between two adjacent module columns of a particular table.
User can input the numeric value for the space needed between two adjacent module columns in a table.
C. Components
Click on the components tab on the Defaults Settings pop-up page to explore the below mentioned components:
Inverter
Click on Inverter under the Components field to view/edit the below properties:
Azimuth
User can input the azimuth for the inverter to align in with the polygon.
It is suggested to edit the azimuth values for the inverter while creating the design.
Mount Height
User can input the height of the inverter in the Mount Height field to be reflected in their design.
ACDB
Click on ACDB under the Components field to view/edit the below properties:
Azimuth
User can input the azimuth for the ACDB to align in with the polygon.
It is suggested to edit the azimuth values for the ACDB while creating the design.
Mount Height
User can input the height of the ACDB in the Mount Height field to be reflected in their design.
Cable
Click on the Cable tab on the Defaults Settings pop-up page to explore the below mentioned Cable:
AC Cable
Click on AC Cable under the Cable field to view/edit the below properties:
Material Type
Click on the Material Type drop down to choose from Aluminium and Copper cable types.
No. of Cores
Click on the No. of Cores drop down to choose from various numbers of cores for your cable.
Size of Cable
Click on the Size of Cable drop down to choose from various cable sizes in AWG unit.
Click on Save button to confirm the changes.