How to Design a
Solar Array System
How to Design a Solar Array System
Version 1.0
July 2013
Contents
Contents
Overview.................................................................................................................................................... 3
About this guide.................................................................................................................................... 3
Conventions used in this guide .............................................................................................................3
Creating a new lead....................................................................................................................................4
Creating a new lead............................................................................................................................... 4
Selecting lead type............................................................................................................................4
Address/contact information.............................................................................................................5
Usage information............................................................................................................................ 5
Utility rate.........................................................................................................................................6
Mapping the system...............................................................................................................................7
Naming the proposal.........................................................................................................................7
Locating the property........................................................................................................................7
Choosing mount type........................................................................................................................7
Drawing array(s)...............................................................................................................................7
Array pop-up window features.................................................................................................... 8
Slope........................................................................................................................................8
Snap Azimuth.......................................................................................................................... 9
Square-Up................................................................................................................................9
Delete..................................................................................................................................... 9
Finish Array.............................................................................................................................9
Additional Features....................................................................................................................10
Total DC watts.......................................................................................................................10
Reset...................................................................................................................................... 10
Total DC watts.......................................................................................................................10
White box.............................................................................................................................. 10
Placing panels................................................................................................................................. 10
Select a Panel............................................................................................................................. 10
Lay Out Panels........................................................................................................................... 11
Sloped roof solutions:............................................................................................................11
Flat roof and ground mount solutions:.................................................................................. 11
Mount Type........................................................................................................................... 12
Panel Orientation...................................................................................................................12
Panel Spacing........................................................................................................................ 12
Re-run Layouts......................................................................................................................13
See-Through Panels...............................................................................................................13
Back.......................................................................................................................................13
Overview
About this guide
How to Design a Solar Array System will show you step-by-step how to
use ModSolar's platform to design a customized, client-specif ic, solar
array system.
Conventions used in this guide
This guide uses the following conventions:
• Bold indicates menu options, buttons, field names, and any item
you select on the screen
• Step-by-step instructions are numbered
• When you have several options, the choices will be bulleted
Creating a new lead
Creating a new lead
1. From the My Leads page, select New Lead under the My
Leads tab
Selecting lead type
2. Choose Lead Type once you are directed to the Enter
Name/Address and Usage page*
*Contact fields will automatically populate based on lead type
Address/contact information
3. Enter address/contact information for selected lead type
NOTE: The final proposal will be sent to the email address provided during this step.
Usage information
4. Enter current usage information
Monthly amounts collapsed
Monthly amounts expanded
Three options
• Total Yearly kWh
• Monthly Amounts in kWh
• Average Monthly Electric Bill in $
Utility rate
5. Select Utility Rate by making selection from drop down.
• Choose pre-populated utility company pulled from Genability*
based on zip code
• Select standard rate as defined in Settings > Proposal
Settings
• Enter manual rate
◦ Constant
◦ Tiered
*Genability is a service that maintains full rate details for 3000+ utilities in the
U.S.
6. Click Map the System
Mapping the system
Naming the proposal
1. Enter any text or numerical value to uniquely identify the
proposal
Locating the property
2. Use map navigation tool to center on customer location and
zoom in
Choosing mount type
3. Select one:
• Sloped roof
• Flat roof
• Ground mount
Drawing array(s)
4. Draw array(s) by placing a series of points in a clockwise or
counter-clockwise order. Arrays may be any shape that has 3
or more points.
5. Click a point to delete it. Drag a point to move it.
Correctly defined array
NOTE: Do not cross over the middle of the region you're defining or you will create a
“bow-tie” effect.
Example of the bow-tie
effect
6. Click the center of the array to activate the array pop-up
window. Array will turn orange.
Open array
Array pop-up window features
Slope
The roof slope slide bar appears when you have Sloped Roof
selected.
•
Default slope is 26 degrees
•
Slide to increase or decrease slope
Snap Azimuth
Orange orientation line that descends due south from the array.
This line indicates the azimuth of the how the panels will face the
sun.
•
Click Snap Azimuth to automatically orient azimuth
Square-Up
Use this button on regions with 4 points
•
Automatically redraws region with 4 right angles
•
Region will stay a perfect rectangle if you change the
size by dragging a point
•
Gives the ability to rotate the rectangle to align it with
the roof orientation
Squared-up array
Delete
Deletes the selected region
Finish Array
Locks array in place and protects it from changes
•
Click inside the region to “close” it. Array will turn
grey.
•
Click a closed array to “open” it to editing.
Additional Features
Total DC watts
Shows total DC watts for all drawn reports based on NREL
DC watts per square foot average data
Reset
Erases all regions and resets the map to its original position
Total DC watts
Shows total DC watts for all drawn reports based on NREL
DC watts per square foot average data
White box
Adjust position and zoom to ensure property is within the
white border guideline; this denotes the area that will be
displayed in the proposal
Placing panels
•
Select a Panel
Use Select a Panel when you know the exact system size you want.
1. Make sure you have entered a text or numerical value to identify
the proposal
2. Click Select a Panel in the bottom right
Features:
•
•
One layout solution for each panel entered in the panels
section of the setting area
•
No panels within arrays
•
Ability to change the number of panels
•
No panels in picture on proposal
Lay Out Panels
Patent-pending panel layout technology determines the number of panels
and optimum layout for each defined module
1. Make sure you have entered a text or numerical value to identify
the proposal
2. Click Lay Out Panels
Sloped roof solutions:
•
Edge-aligned vs. Free-form
◦ Edge-aligned lays out panels in relation to one region (roof)
edge
◦ Free-form fits the highest number of panels possible
without using region (roof) edge as a guide
Ex:
Flat roof and ground mount solutions:
•
Free-form force south vs. Free form azimuth
•
Free-form force south lays out panels facing due south
•
Free form azimuth lays out panels according to one region
(roof) edge
Mount Type
•
Sloped Roof
•
Flat Roof
•
Ground Mount
Panel Orientation
•
Force portrait arranges all panels vertically
•
Force landscape arranges all panels horizontally
•
Optimal arranges panels with the same orientation within a
row, but allows different rows to have different orientation to
maximum number of panels
Example:
Force portrait
Force landscape
Optimal
Panel Spacing
•
Default option is Force Grid
•
Ecofoot 2 Racking
•
Individual adjustments can be made between panels and
rows
◦ Spacing is measured in inches; use decimal notation for
fractions
◦ Flat roof systems will automatically calculate inter-row
spacing using the property's latitude or the default tile
defined in the settings area
Re-run Layouts
Use this button when you want to generate a new layout
specif ied based on your changes
See-Through Panels
Makes panels transparent to identify roof obstructions
Delete panels on or near obstructions by selecting them and
clicking Delete on the Delete Panel(s) pop-up
Back
Return to the Map the System tab to add/delete/modify
array(s)