Table of Contents SolarEdge Site Design Tool
SolarEdge Site Designer V2.3 Table of Contents Table of Contents ......................................................................................... 2 Introduction ................................................................................................. 3 Starting to Use the Site Designer ................................................................ 4 Begin a New Project .................................................................................... 9 Choose a Location .............
SolarEdge Site Designer Introduction The SolarEdge Site Designer analyzes your planned PV site: location, size, module models and orientations, and then recommends one or several system designs: the SolarEdge inverter, power optimizer model and string sizing most suitable to your site requirements. The Site Designer can also verify any site design and it supports unequal string-length layouts and multi-orientation systems. After installation, open the Site Designer from the desktop icon .
SolarEdge Site Designer V2.3 Starting to Use the Site Designer Before starting a new project with the SolarEdge Site Designer, familiarize yourself with some of the icons used in the application and with the main menu. Icons The following icons are used throughout the application: Add Edit Remove Set as Default Clear Default Restore Default Restore SolarEdge Default Add to Favorites Remove from Favorites Main Menu The main menu is reached by clicking on the application icon top left of the window.
SolarEdge Site Designer Figure 1 – Main menu 1 2 3 4 5 New: start a new project. Open: open a saved project. Save/Save as: save a project. Close: close a project. Send: send an email to SolarEdge support, or send SolarEdge modules that you added to the Designer. 6 Options: define various designer settings, as detailed below. The Options screen can also be accessed by selecting the Options icon in the opening screen. 7 About: software version information, and SolarEdge support contact information.
SolarEdge Site Designer V2.3 The Options screen has the options detailed below and shown in Figures 24. General Tab Allows you to change your personal preferences Figure 2 – Options screen, General tab 1 Change the application Language. The following languages are available: English, German, French and Italian. 2 Change the Temperature units to be used in the application: Celsius or Fahrenheit. 3 Change the Number of projects to show in the history. The last saved projects appear in the main menu.
SolarEdge Site Designer Update Tab Allows you to select whether or not to receive automatic application or database updates from SolarEdge Figure 3 – Options screen, Update tab 5 Choose if the application should automatically check for application and database updates, or check if there is a new update.
SolarEdge Site Designer V2.3 Defaults Tab Allows you to change defaults that you saved in the application. Figure 4 – Options screen, Defaults tab The defaults that can be saved and edited from the Options screen are: 6 PV Default: display a message every time a module that may require grounding is selected. 7 Report default: always display the report settings before generating a report.
SolarEdge Site Designer Begin a New Project After opening the application, begin a new project either by selecting the New Project icon in the opening screen as indicated in Figure 5, or by selecting the New option in the main menu as indicated in Figure 1.
SolarEdge Site Designer V2.3 Choose a Location In the Choose Location screen you define the system location and related regional settings, as detailed below and shown in Figure 6. Figure 6 – Choose Location You must fill in the following mandatory fields: 1 2 3 4 Select a continent. Select a country. Select a state/province (where applicable). Select a city. You can manage the locations: 5 Save a location as the default location with the Set as Default icon.
SolarEdge Site Designer You also have the option of changing the following fields: 8 Enter a project Name and Description; if you generate a report, these fields will appear in the report. 9 Adjust the Ambient Temperature range to which the system will be subjected. 10 If the desired location is not available, you can add a location by pressing the Add icon . You can later edit or delete this location using the corresponding icons (these icons appear only when using a location you added).
SolarEdge Site Designer V2.3 Define Modules and Orientations In the Define PV Arrays screen you select a module model and define the system sizing and related settings, as detailed below and shown in Figure 7. Figure 7 – Define PV Arrays You must fill in the following mandatory fields: 1 Select a module Manufacturer and Model You can manage the modules: 2 Save a module as the default module with the Set as Default icon. You can remove this selection at any time with the Clear Default icon.
SolarEdge Site Designer You also have the option of changing the following fields: 8 Edit the PV array name. This name will appear in the system recommendation and in the system report, if you generate one. 9 If the desired module is not available, you can add a module by pressing the Add icon . You can later edit or delete this location using the corresponding icons (these icons appear only when using a location you added).
SolarEdge Site Designer V2.
SolarEdge Site Designer Get Recommended Designs In the Get Design screen the Site Designer recommends one or several system designs, as shown in Figure 9, based on the location and PV array data that you input at the previous stages. Figure 9 – Get Design 1 Review different recommendations in this area. In some complex mutli-orientation designs the application may not offer any recommendation.
SolarEdge Site Designer V2.3 4 Adjust the maximum DC/AC sizing. This is the ratio between the rated STC power of the modules and the inverter peak AC power. Adjusting this range allows you to change the inverter over-sizing. Save a maximum sizing value with the Set as Default icon. You can choose your default value by pressing the Restore Default icon, and you can return to the SolarEdge maximum value by pressing the Restore SolarEdge Default icon.
SolarEdge Site Designer 4 Total per inverter: a. Number of modules b. Max achieved DC power – the maximum input DC to the inverter, at the given location c. DC/AC sizing – the ratio of the input DC @STC to inverter rated AC power 5 System Total – shown below the dashed line: a. Number of inverters, strings and modules b. Max achieved DC power – the maximum input DC to the system, at the given location c. Estimated yearly energy d.
SolarEdge Site Designer V2.3 View Project Summary In the Summary screen you can see an overview of the selected design, as detailed below and shown in Figure 11. Figure 11 – Summary 1 Project summary: STC power, max DC power at given location and orientation, inverter active AC power and inverter apparent AC power. 2 Yearly energy: estimated yearly energy that the system will produce.
SolarEdge Site Designer From the summary screen you can generate a system report, as detailed in the Generate a System Report chapter. Generate a System Report From the Summary and Design screens you can generate a system report by selecting the Generate Report button at the top of the screen. Selecting this option opens a screen where you can define and input report data, as detailed below and shown in Figures 12 and 13.
SolarEdge Site Designer V2.3 2 Choose the Required power optimizer input connector according to the modules used in the design. This is a mandatory field, ensuring that the power optimizer part number provided in the report meets the system requirements. 3 Choose the Required power optimizer output cable length according to the installation of the modules: portrait or landscape. This is a mandatory field, ensuring that the power optimizer part number provided in the report meets the system requirements.
SolarEdge Site Designer 6 Save the information as the default information with the Set as Default icon. You can choose your default information by pressing the Restore Default icon and you can clear this information with the Clear Default icon. 7 Optional: Input the contact information of the customer for whom you designed this system. 8 Press Generate Report. A general view of the report can be seen in Figure 14.
SolarEdge Site Designer V2.
SolarEdge Site Designer Figure 15 – Project report 1 User contact information and SolarEdge logo – this appears at the top of every page in the report. 2 To: customer contact information. 3 Project: project name, description and creation date. 4 Location: system location. 5 System data: system STC power, max DC power at given location and orientation, and inverter AC power. 6 PV Arrays: details of all the arrays defined: Array name, tilt, azimuth, mounting type and module model.
SolarEdge Site Designer V2.3 Edit System Design In the Design screen you can design any system, and receive immediate verification of the design. This option should be used if there is no recommended design or if you do not want to use one of the recommended designs because of specific design constraints. When choosing the Edit Design option, the screen shows the design you chose in the Get Design screen. You then build and verify a design as detailed below and shown in Figure 16.
SolarEdge Site Designer 7 Change the Quantity of a specific string design. This means that if you are designing an inverter with several strings that are identical in string length and number of modules from each array, you just increase the string quantity. 8 Add a string to an inverter, if you are designing an inverter with several non-identical strings. 9 Assign modules to a string; modules from different arrays can be combined in the same string.
SolarEdge Site Designer V2.3 Figure 17 – De-rating factors 1 Module Factors: edit the de-rating factors associated with module energy losses: PV nameplate, Module Soiling and Module Aging. There are no Mismatch losses in the SolarEdge system. 2 Electrical Factors: edit the de-rating factors associated with electrical components in the system: DC wiring, AC wiring, and Diodes and Connections.
SolarEdge Site Designer
