Technical Discussion - PV*SOL Expert 5.5

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J

Julian Pett

Dear Electricians Forum Member,

The new PV*SOL Expert program has just been released but will not be publicly promoted for another two weeks.

It’s packed full of exciting new features and marks a significant development in the world’s number one PV simulation software package.

We’re offering a one-off deal exclusively for Electricians Forum Members to purchase this software at 10% below the advertised selling price!

The offer is available from now until the end of play on Wednesday the 7[SUP]th[/SUP] of March 2012.

We will be adding information to this thread on a daily basis until then so please drop by each day for more information. Each post will be hyperlinked to our sneak preview page on our website that only Electricians’ Forum members can see. There you can download the free demo version and try it out for yourself for no charge. If you need any help just call our technical support line on 0905 160 016 and we will be happy to assist. If you want to order then please call sales on 0845 519 7914.

Not only will we be offering this discount to all new purchases made by forum members, but also to forum members wanting to upgrade from PV*SOL Pro 4.5 or update from PV*SOL Expert 5.0.

If you have older versions of the software that you would like to update or upgrade then please get in touch for pricing information.

Be sure to quote the code EF-FEB12 along with your Electricians Forum membership number with your order.

In addition, if you know anybody who would like to partake in this offer but is not an Electricians’ Forum member, get them to join the forum first and they will become eligible – as long as they sign up and place their order with us before the end of play on Wednesday 7[SUP]th[/SUP] March 2012.

Please feel free to send us an email to [email protected] or phone 0845 519 7914.

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Re: PV*SOL Expert 5.5 Launch. Sneak preview and exclusive Electricians Forum discount

Not for a difficult to use, unituitive tool that just gives me glorified sketches!
 
Re: PV*SOL Expert 5.5 Launch. Sneak preview and exclusive Electricians Forum discount

Nor could we really, but the worst thing is I'm finding it almost impossible to use, for the one project we really needed it for. I'd give anything for zoom, merge & group.:dizzy2:

The cheek of it is, you pay out all that money and then they want another £100 odd for the software maintenance agreement and 51p per minute for technical help. The videos, such as they are, are mostly in German, and the help files don't seem to cover anything I want to know about. I read on the demo preview that objects could be grouped, but a search of the word group in the helpfile brings up ... nothing. The program doesn't come pre-set-up for the UK market either. Pollution data is German and UK tariff doesn't exist either. They do offer "spreadsheets" or "pdfs" to help with that though!!
 
Re: PV*SOL Expert 5.5 Launch. Sneak preview and exclusive Electricians Forum discount

The software is tricky to get the hang of but once you do, you can't be without it. Superb tool.

The updates are far too expensive though.
 
Re: PV*SOL Expert 5.5 Launch. Sneak preview and exclusive Electricians Forum discount

yep, I've found it a bit of a let down. Overly complex, unintuitive, difficult to use and poorly set up for the UK, and expensive.
A really useful thing would be a ruler tool so you could actually measure how far apart objects are rather than guessing, but thats just the drawing side, don't even get me into the reports , the figures of which don't stand up to scrutiny, possibly because I'm not inputting the data correctly, but then who knows, it's so damn complicated!
 
Re: PV*SOL Expert 5.5 Launch. Sneak preview and exclusive Electricians Forum discount

I haven't even begun to look at the reports properly yet and I've been using PV-Sol Pro for over a year!! We don't use them for clients at all. I just want to join two roofs together, a hip and a tent, and put one array across them both. I think it can be done, but I've no idea how, and I've been working on this for a solid 12 hours now!
 
Re: PV*SOL Expert 5.5 Launch. Sneak preview and exclusive Electricians Forum discount

Think I may have got you all jumping up and down about the price on a falsehood.:blush5:

I upgraded from PV-Sol PRO 4.5 to PV-Sol EXPERT 5.5 for £565. So it wasn't just an update, but an upgrade as well.

The Software Maintenance Agreement I had for PRO didn't cover Expert, but they offered me a pro-rata refund for that. Without pro-rata that works out at about £176.96. All of it is too expensive though anyway IMO, without masses of free support.
 
Re: PV*SOL Expert 5.5 Launch. Sneak preview and exclusive Electricians Forum discount

do what I did before I had PVsol, get the graph paper out and draw it, it's quicker and easier!
 
Re: PV*SOL Expert 5.5 Launch. Sneak preview and exclusive Electricians Forum discount

is that really necessary though? The spreadsheet I use for SAP calcs just has 'non or minimal, some, heavilly shaded' thats adequate for needs as the figures are pessimistic anyway.
 
Re: PV*SOL Expert 5.5 Launch. Sneak preview and exclusive Electricians Forum discount

moggy1968 said:
is that really necessary though? The spreadsheet I use for SAP calcs just has 'non or minimal, some, heavilly shaded' thats adequate for needs as the figures are pessimistic anyway.
Click to expand...

Well I suppose that depends. You are right and I agree that the regulations cover you if you choose one of the shaded options. But what is the difference between modest and significant shading? What most, including myself would have considered modest or even minimal shading, can in fact turn out to be "significant" as far as output is concerned. It would seem to me that the SAP calculations are woefully inadequate when it comes to shading. Shading is down the queue after orientation and pitch when it comes to output, but seems to be one of the most, if not, the most important factor. We have seen significant drops in output from self-shading of a lower bay roof and just a chimney, (which is what we are investigating at the moment).

And whilst some of our clients are happy to just go on SAP figures alone, we have a fair few who get very technical and certainly want to see a more detailed analysis. I certainly would gladly go back to pencil and graph paper and a few SAP calcs if I thought the public would be happy with it. But as with everything, we find that people are more demanding nowadays, (and quite rightly so). Also SAP doesn't take into account location, placement and choice of panel combined with inverter etc, all of which make a good deal of difference to output. Obviously, the higher the output, the higher the return and the more chance of selling the package.

Oops too long a post - giving up with PV-Sol for today and getting some shuteye!
 
Re: PV*SOL Expert 5.5 Launch. Sneak preview and exclusive Electricians Forum discount

I agree with LSP. The shading analysis on PV Sol Expert is superb. I can sit with my customers and show them exactly why I've designed the system the way that I have. I can model all chimneys, neighbouring properties etc. and work out exactly the best position for the panels. It's not always as obvious as you think when you go for the initial survey.
 
Re: PV*SOL Expert 5.5 Launch. Sneak preview and exclusive Electricians Forum discount

Good morning all – it’s excellent to see so much interest in our new baby!

Dealing with your questions in the order posted:

SolarCity & ISPelectrical – At the time of writing (prices are linked to the Euro so may fluctuate slightly), the cost to update from PV*SOL Expert 5.0 Gridcon to PV*SOL Expert 5.5 Gridcon is £206.24 + VAT. The offer price to EF members is £185.62 + VAT. Unless of course you have purchased The Software Maintenance Agreement (Software Maintenance Agreements (SMA), in which case it’s free.

Moggy1968 – PV*SOL is sophisticated engineering software which performs complex analyses on the shading environment. Of course, we understand that this approach to PV system design is not everyone’s cup of tea. However, the vast majority of our customers find the results are incredibly useful for deciding configurations and layouts. The new PV*SOL Expert 5.5 is now easier to use than before. Why not send me your queries by email ([email protected]) and I’ll be happy to assist with any difficulties you may be experiencing.

ISPelectrical – PV*SOL is sold worldwide and can easily be adapted to any country’s regional regulatory requirements. As you correctly state, we do offer support for adaption in the form of pdf’s and other documents for which we do not charge. We also offer free email support so please feel free to send us any queries or even complete projects with which you may be having problems. There is also a manual and searchable help menu within the software plus 2 training videos within the Photoplan section of the program. Our website contains a Frequently Asked Questions page which deals with most of the common queries. If you need an answer to a question that isn’t covered by the above and it really can’t wait then there is our technical support phone line which is on a premium rate number. This line is manned daily from 9am to 5pm (except from 12-1). This service implies costs to us because we have to employ someone on a full time basis to provide the cover. We suggest you explore the free options first. In the near future we shall also be offering free webinars. Also we offer training sessions at various locations around the country which will get you up to speed with the software in a couple of days. Please get in touch if you require available dates and pricing information for these sessions (or refer to our website: T*SOL and PV*SOL Training).

Infinity & SolarCity – Please refer to my first answer above or get in touch if you require clarification on pricing. I think you’ll find it’s a lot cheaper than you think.

Moggy1968 – You will be pleased to hear that a measuring tool is now included in PV*SOL Expert and any object can be positioned relative to any other object using this tool. You can also choose from which corner or edge you are measuring to and from. Why not download the free demo and see for yourself? PV*SOL Expert

Moggy1968& ISPelectrical – I can send you a word document which explains the terms used on the first page of the report. You can also press the F1 key on your keyboard and search for ‘definitions’. The terminology used is standard for the PV industry. Send me you email addresses to: [email protected] and I’ll send you the document.

ISPelectrical – With regard to your project involving 2 roofs. Go to System>Technical Data. On the System page enter ‘2’ into the number of arrays box and slect ‘single system inverter’ (or multiple if you prefer). Now click on ‘Array 1’ at the bottom of the screen and define slope, inclination, module type. Then either use the roof layout option to draw this section of the roof to calculate the possible module quantity or just type the value in if you already have decided. Repeat for array 2 then go to the inverter page and select. Lastly perform a system check to ensure all is good and you’re done.

Grandfortune – Please refer to my first comment above At the time of writing (prices are linked to the Euro so may fluctuate slightly), the cost to update from PV*SOL Expert 5.0 Gridcon to PV*SOL Expert 5.5 Gridcon is £206.24 + VAT. The offer price to EF members is £185.62 + VAT. Unless of course you have purchased The Software Maintenance Agreement (Software Maintenance Agreements (SMA)), in which case it’s free. Of course you don’t have to buy the upgrade – it’s entirely optional. Try the free demo from our download page and see if you like it: PV*SOL: computer simulation software for designing and calculating photovoltaic systems. If you’re not convinced then stick with what you’ve got. Expert 5.0 remains a very slick and powerful package. Training is not obligatory either – it just helps people get up to speed as quickly as possible. Our customers generally report that the time saved is worth the expense but of course we offer many free avenues of support if you learn better under your steam.

ISPelectrical – Thanks for your price correction. Hopefully you’ve also seen my comments as to the level of free support on offer. We’re here to help you get the most out of PV*SOL.

Moggy1968 – Graph paper is one way to design and optimise a pv system. However for an hourly analysis of a 365 day simulation based on local climatic and shading data with system checks on electrical outputs and module/inverter compatibility for various configurations (not to mention consideration of cable sizes, altitude, orientation and slope to the nearest degree) plus the option to produce a photorealistic image and/or a 3D shading yield reduction analysis all wrapped up with a financial evaluation including payback time, internal rate of return & break even point and presented with screenshots on a professionally constructed report…you might find you’ll need a fair few bits of graph paper. ;)

ISPelectrical – The shading analysis has got much easier in the new PV*SOL Expert 5.5. Get in touch and I’ll be glad to give you some pointers.

Moggy1968/ISPelectrical – You can just present a SAP calculation but as ISPelectrical rightly points out, there are many generic assumptions made in the SAP methodology and it can at best only be used as a rough estimate. And yes, customers are more picky these days (and rightly so). In fact some large investors demand the use of software such as PV*SOL because it generates, among other things, a Specific Annual Yield calculation – often used as a benchmark figure for assessing a project’s financial viability. At the end of the day, as with most things in life, it’s a case of ‘you pay your money, you take your choice.’ You can either tender for jobs with a rough estimate on the back of an envelope or present a professionally constructed report with all the features and details described above. Put yourself in the shoes of your client. Which would you prefer?

SolarCity – Got it in one. Shading is a complex and important issue for PV system design. PV*SOL not only gives you a module by module analysis of the effects of shading throughout the year, but also lets you run a video from and to any point in the year which animates the Sun’s course and resultant shadows throughout each day. As you rightly point out, the result can often surprise.
 
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Re: PV*SOL Expert 5.5 Launch. Sneak preview and exclusive Electricians Forum discount

Time for another sneak preview:

 

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Re: PV*SOL Expert 5.5 Launch. Sneak preview and exclusive Electricians Forum discount

ISPelectrical – With regard to your project involving 2 roofs. Go to System>Technical Data.
Click to expand...

I've been using the design section of PV-Sol Pro for some time, so am able to set up multiple arrays in that program. It's the conjoined roofs in the PV-Sol Expert 3D simulation I'm referring to, which I believe is done before the adoption of data for PV-Sol, unless I've misunderstood the whole workflow. I have sent you an email (well a couple really), with my queries, which should explain what I'm on about.

Very glad to know email support is free. I was not aware of that. I have watched all videos and read all manuals and FAQs, and am booked in for a webinair on 8th March, and am still none the wiser. We were (two of us) going to book up for the next available training, but it really was too expensive for us. If it had been around the £180 mark, we would have definitely signed up for it.
 
£185 is a bit more like it ;-)

For anyone that is wondering if the upgrade to expert is worth it, I would repeat that you really don't know how much shading affects arrays unless you can model it in 3D over a 12 month simulation. Being able to move panels around the roof space and have the shading percentage shown is absolutely invaluable.

It is quick to use once you get used to it but I do agree that it takes some effort to get to grips with it.
 
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having givenPVSOL a fairly comprehensive bashing on here, here's why I do use it, albeit in a very limited way

I was finding I wasn't converting quotes into jobs and decided one reason for that was presentation.

I thought PVsol would be a way of making my presentations more professional. I now convert most quotes into jobs, but as my purchase came just before the october announcement it's difficult to know if it's down to the quality of my presentations or consumer panic. I have given up doing my reports through PV sol. I now just use the 3d modeling to make nice piccies to put into my quotes.

PVsol gives me the opportunity to try a variety of panel types on a particular roof to gain maximum useage of the area available.

The shading tool is useful and has revealed issues where I hadn't realised their would be one. This was complicated by not having a measuring tool which now appears to have been addressed.

Thanks for the offer to look at the specific problems I am having. The specific problem is, err, using PV sol! The lack of useability and functionality means it's very time consuming and mostly done by trial and error. Every time brings up new problems so it's impossible to list them all here! I think the program should be functional straight out of the box. Then if you want to do a course to learn the bells and whistles you can do that if you want. The degree of difficulty to get even the most basic functions out of it is really not acceptable.

Overall, as I say above, I can't judge it's usefulness in winning business accurately but I would say it has paid for itself.
 
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LSP Electrical: I see you are a keen student! Hopefully our email dialogue is making things clearer. I’ll get onto your latest questions once finished here. As I’ve mentioned previously, training is not obligatory and many customers such as yourself have taken advantage of all the free help and assistance we offer (full details in my previous post).

SolarCity: You’re right – it takes practice to become adept at using any tool or software package. We believe the time put in to PV*SOL is more than recouped by the improvement in your analysis of the situation, the speed in drafting quotations based on relevant simulations and the professionalism of your presentation. In short PV*SOL gives you the competitive advantage needed to get the jobs in.

Moggy1968: It’s good to see you’re getting some useful results from the software – but there’s so much more you could be doing with it. Try starting a new project in Quick Design (without 3D) first to see how simple the basic parameters are to run a reliable and accurate simulation. After that you can enter the main program to add shading and run system checks etc. We always teach trainees to get fully acquainted with the 2D side first so they really understand what’s going on. There are a lot of powerful tools here to help with analysis, not to mention the economic efficiency calculator for the all-important payback calculation!. Let me know if you need our guide to using the PV*SOL Economic Efficiency Calculator and I’ll be happy to email it over (email to: [email protected]). Maybe you’d like to check out our sample training course structure on our website (PV*SOL Training) – this should give you some tips as to what you may be missing. If there’s anything unfamiliar in there then drop me an email and I’ll be glad to explain.
 
I've been thinking about investing in a PV software package and have spoken to you at various trade shows last year however as yet haven't invested in a dedicated solar pv package.

I use Google sketchup it simulates shading 365/24/7 in both 2d and 3D. I use the inverter design packages to ensure correct sizings etc and use excel for my ROi giving customers 3 different scenarios based on irradiance including SAP. How will I benefit from using PV sol other than information overload. I do have a MSC in computing so I'm a tough cookie when it comes to software.

Also on google I import the 3d model on to google earth so the local geographics are included in my model.

Would I/ how could I benefit from PV sol over Google ?

Many thanks
 
Moggy1968 - Good luck with getting your installations done on time. I look forward to hearing from you after you’ve recovered! Glad you liked ‘The Henge’ on our YouTube video. Feel free to send us your further suggestions for either Photoplan or 3D modelling, or send us your own work and we’ll be happy to credit you. Apart from a bit of fun – it’s also an attempt to rhetorically ask people to think how we are all going to meet CO2 emissions targets.

SolarCity – We’re working on all sorts of new forms of tuition some even free such as Webinars! For a fee with have a new ‘Advanced PV Survey, Design & Simulation Training’ course plus another course based on the new program - GeoT*SOL which simulates heat pump performance. In addition we’re revising the current PV*SOL courses to take account of all the new features in PV*SOL Expert 5.5. It’s all go at the Solar Design Company! Webinars will be announced here soon. More details of the training can be found at: T*SOL and PV*SOL Training. We’d love to see you put up a video or two on YouTube. Please send us the link when you’re done. The more the merrier. If you or anybody else would like a link on your website with some of our higher resolution graphics, promo videos & information plus a ‘We use PV*SOL’ badge then please get in touch with us direct at: [email protected] and we'll send you more information on this.

Finchy –There’s no doubt that a software enthusiast can invest their time in a range of 3D CAD type programs and produce amazing landscape renders which can impress some PV clients. However this doesn’t provide an integrated solution for transferring individual module shading frequency into the optimum inverter configuration. Architectural-orientated shading visualisation is quite different to quantifying energy values from modules/strings on an hourly basis. Most of all, we don’t believe your method would provide viable comparisons between equipment brands as each manufacturer has different preferences on climate files and temperature factor defaults whilst a dedicated PV simulator would.

PV*SOL gives a single, specialised PV simulation package which allows quick, accurate comparisons focussing on the task of design and presenting PV systems. Not to forget it comes with our technical support through the design/presentation process where separate programs require separate support calls. Using separate programs to achieve the same as PV*SOL would make a simple process more complicated with scope for errors and mismatched data. We believe having a central database of modules and inverters automatically updated on a daily basis is a key resource which avoids duplication of data entry.

Graphical visualisation of complex technical issues is a way to give client confidence that you thoroughly understand the subject. Careful use of the graphical outputs of PV*SOL can for example show the client that module temperature/ventilation is important. A single software package can allow the options to be altered in front of the client. Photoplan, which is built into PV*Sol, allows a very smooth visualisation and spacing check which would be difficult to replicate in separate packages.

Finally we would say PV*Sol is a powerful brand which is widely used in the trade and already known to investors seeking due diligence. A free demo of PV*Sol can be downloaded here: PV*SOL Expert
 
Here are some more sneak previews exclusively for Electriciands Forum members:






And here's a feature you'll like:





We've also put together a You Tube promo video which can be viewed here:

[video=youtube;mnB_OfPdwM8]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mnB_OfPdwM8&feature=g-all-u&context=G225a360FAAAAAAAAAAA[/video]
 

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Here's a great new feature that you couldn't do before:

 

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Julian

We need far more on the Economic Efficiency Calculation.

People are using this without fully understanding it. Even on the Expert course at Solar Design Company HQ, this was skirted round as the trainers didn't understand it either! I was particularly annoyed with this important aspect of the training. Results are being misinterpreted with people quoting returns far higher than they actually are as they don't understand what the model says. It is possible to use this correctly, IF sufficient explanation is given.

As tariffs are cut use of the economic model becomes more and more important in demonstrating the viability (or otherwise) of an installation.

There are also shortcomings with in it. Unless things have changed in 5.5 you cannot input the export tariff separately from the main feed in tariff. You have to work on the basis of 50% deemed and lump it in together. Hardly satisfactory.

There is also little explanation of the effects paying interest on payment sequences. Also a full explanation of how figures are derived in the final spreadsheet would be very helpful.

Net Present Value and Discounted Cash Flow are not beyond the understanding of the layman. This calculation, and variations on it are used to make investment decisions in all spheres of industry, commerce and Government.

The information and explanation currently available for the Economic Efficiency Calculation is woeful.
 
Solar King,

As you correctly state, with tighter margins, economic modelling is now even more important in demonstrating the viability of an installation.

The Economic Efficiency Calculator in PV*SOL is based on the VDI 6025 Economic Standard and is a very flexible and powerful tool for economic analysis. If you wish to calculate returns from actual use of the electricity generated or to create a ‘deeming’ scenario then it is necessary to define a consumption load profile first i.e. select ‘net metering’ rather than ‘full feed in’

You will then have the option of selecting the British/Italian feed in tariff on opening the calculator and here you can define both a generation amount and an export amount. Alternatively, if you prefer to use a deeming approach, you can simply add half of the export amount to the generation amount and then enter zero for the feed in payment.

The results generated in the PV*SOL Economic Efficiency Calculator gives the Net Present Value (NPV) – the sum of the discounted cash flows of the scheme i.e. the sum of all terms, R[SUB]t[/SUB]/(1+i)[SUP]t [/SUP],where t is the time of the cash flow, i is the discount rate (the rate of return that could be earned on an investment in the financial markets with similar risk); the opportunity cost of the capital, R[SUB]t[/SUB] is the net cash flow at time t. The Internal Rate of Return (IRR) is also calculated – referred to in PV*SOL as ‘Yield’ i.e. the annualized effective compounded return rate or rate of return that makes the net NPV of all cash flows (both positive and negative) from a particular investment equal to zero i.e. Given the (period, cash flow) pairs n,C[SUB]n[/SUB]: NPV = ∑(C[SUB]n[/SUB]/(1+r)[SUP]n[/SUP] from n=0 to N; where n is a positive integer, N is the total number of periods, NPV is the net present value and r is the internal rate of return.

Explanations for all of these terms are available in the Help menu- accessed by pressing F1 at any time.

While it is true that such concepts are not beyond the understanding of the layperson, our experience thus far has shown that few attendees to our training courses are familiar with these concepts. To fully explain this approach to financial modelling would take a considerable amount of additional time and would not fulfil the remit of the training - which is to show how the program works. By the same token, we do not go into the details of the photovoltaic effect (which of course underpins the whole technology) i.e. the concept of a p-n junction and how the carrier flows under equilibrium, short circuit and open-circuit conditions; nor do we examine the theory behind inverter MPP matching and the various algorithms used to ascertain the current which the inverter should draw form the PV array.

We recognise that each individual attendee has a different level of cognisance of the concepts listed above and the course is subsequently tailored to suit this wide range of experience and understanding. We also recommend books and other sources of information to augment the training. Background reading on this and any other taught course is essential to begin to grasp any subject in its entirety.

I will be happy to send you our guide to using the PV*SOL Economic Efficiency Calculator which explains in a little more detail the answer to your tariff query and will hopefully explain to you in clear terms how you can achieve the results you require. Please send an email to [email protected] and we will email this document to you.
 
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Don't leave it too late to get PV*SOL 5.5 - the exclusive Electricians Forum offer expires at 5pm Wednesday 7th March - That's tomorrow just before teatime!

 

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Follow this link to get a free tutorial on setting up multiple roofs to one inverter in PV*SOL 3D:

[video=youtube;ld5kSskK3Uo]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ld5kSskK3Uo&context=C3611e3bADOEgsToPDskIj TI5mHpMHJyPUy3NlDnWC[/video]
 
Create photorealistic images of your customer’s property 2.jpg
Alter the colour of the terrain to better represent the location 2.jpg
 

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Your post #36 shows a building with split arrays on multiple roofs. Can you send a tutorial for this? Just the main roofs and not the projection.
 
Many thanks for link Julian, but that is not what I am after. I did watch the tutorial, as I thought I was missing something from your instructions. What I actually meant was:

The building shown on this thread (post no #36) has a photograph, a photoplan and a 3d visualisation. What I would like to see is the two arrays on the top roofs of this building linked to one inverter using the 3d visualisation.
I have attached a jpg of the roof in your screenshot and a similar one on pv-sol expert.


Capture.JPG Capture2.JPG

I think the tutorial really shows only one roof (albeit different views / sides) linking to the inverter.
 
lspelectrical:

We have created a document showing the steps you need to follow to configure arrays on multiple roofs to one inverter.

These instructions have been emailed to you and are available to anybody else who could use some tips on the subject. If other Electricians Forum members would like a copy of this document then please send an email requesting it to: [email protected] and we'll be happy to provide it free of charge.
 
Julian Pett said:
lspelectrical:

We have created a document showing the steps you need to follow to configure arrays on multiple roofs to one inverter.

These instructions have been emailed to you and are available to anybody else who could use some tips on the subject. If other Electricians Forum members would like a copy of this document then please send an email requesting it to: [email protected] and we'll be happy to provide it free of charge.
Click to expand...

I wonder if you would mind emailing this info to me also?: [email protected]
 
We have Expert 5.5 and have noticed a possible issue. The SMA3600TL won't allow a 4kw system of conventional panels such as the Hyundai or Samsung. The inverter allows 15A per string but the software flags up two strings as an overvoltage condition (approx 16-17A).

It's therefore not allowing us to select this inverter for most 4kw systems and we have to choose a 4000TL instead.

Does anyone else get this? Can this be changed?
 
Well spotted. You can actually change this in the database on PV Sol yourself easily enough but it would be an idea if the developers altered the database to suit.

It sounds to me that MAX current has been input incorrectly.
 
A real-world representation of the shading from surrounding objects is extremely important for precisely calculating yields. You’re therefore looking for a program which takes shading into account as analytically as possible? PV*SOL® Expert does just that! You can visualize all roof-integrated or mounted systems - even on the ground - with up to 2,000 modules in 3D and calculate shading on the basis of 3D objects.

read more:

PV*SOL Expert | Valentin Software
 
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New Sponsor - Sunlec Power
A big thanks from me to Sunlec Power for sponsoring the forum. Sunlec Power is the UK distributor of Linuo solar modules. As an...
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