• File size should be as small as possible, with a maximum of 250 MB.
• The maximum number of vertices is 500,000 (we recommend a maximum of 200,000 vertices to ensure optimal performance).
• Textures should not exceed 4096 x 4096 pixels.
• No perforated or open structures in the silhouette of the 3D model.
• The higher the complexity of the 3D model, the poorer the performance of PV*SOL, even if, for example, the maximum number of modules has not yet been reached.

The following file formats are supported:

For models in *.obj format, a *.mtl file and a *.jpeg file must be located in the same folder. Visual material properties (e.g. reflection, transparency, specular highlights, etc.) are defined in a separate material file with the file extension *.mtl (Material Template Library), whilst texture data is stored in separate texture files (e.g. *.jpeg files). The size of the *.jpeg file must not exceed 4096 x 4096 px.

If your 3D model is too large, reduce its size using 3D modelling software before importing it into PV*SOL. In MeshLab, for example, this can be done via Filters → Remeshing, Simplification and Reconstruction → Simplification.

Smaller drones are only suitable for small objects and only in good lighting conditions and short shooting distances. The camera's CMOS image sensor should be at least 1' in size.

The use of the flight pattern app Drone Harmony is recommended. A list of supported drones can be found here.

Our partner solarklima e.K. offers expert training on handling the drone, creating 3D models and importing them into PV*SOL premium.

With 15-minute intervals, you need exactly 35,040 values. "Four values too many" indicates that four zeros were added to the file due to the spring time change. Delete these four rows:

Then delete columns A, B, and D. You only need the raw consumption values, without timestamps or column headers, in the first column of the Excel file:

The error message "No read permission" appears if the load profile is still open in Excel. You must first close the Excel program (or the file) before you can import the file.

Importing a load profile is also explained in our help documentation.

Note that the generation profile must be lower than the consumption at all times. If the hydroelectric power plant generates and feeds more electricity into the system than is consumed, simulation is not possible. The overall profile must not be negative.

You can also subtract the hydroelectric power plant's profile from your load profile beforehand in Excel and set the negative values to zero. This could look like this:

To import the load profile, you only need the actual consumption values (only the values in one column), without time data or column headers. Importing a load profile is also explained in our help documentation.

Limitations of the results:

• The total electricity consumption is not the actual consumption, but rather the consumption difference.
• The amount of electricity generated by the hydroelectric power plant that is not used to cover consumption is not calculated.

The first lines (the file header) must look like this:

Line 1: Location name

"Vienna"

Line 2: Latitude, longitude, altitude, time relative to Greenwich, -30 should remain.

48.11,-16.21,170,-1,-30

Decimal places for latitude and longitude must be entered in minutes, e.g., Vienna 48.1866° => input 48.11. For locations in eastern longitude, negative signs must be used when entering longitude and time. For latitude, a positive sign corresponds to the northern hemisphere.

Line 3: Blank line

Line 4: Must be copied as is; tab-separated

Ta Gh FF RH

Lines 5-8746:

The following data lines are listed in the following order: outdoor temperature - global radiation on the horizontal plane/m² - wind speed - relative humidity; tab-separated.

-5.0 0 1.8 75.5

-5.4 0 1.5 78.0
...

...

Please note that missing values must be filled with "0".

Further information on importing your own climate data can be found in our help section.

In 2D planning:

In 3D planning:

To use the imported load profiles on another PC, transfer the "ConsumptionDb.sdf" file to the new PC.

If you want to access your favorites from another device, open the .ini files on both devices and copy the favorites from one file to the other.

In the 2D planning of PV*SOL premium and PV*SOL, the number of modules per sub-generator is limited to 100,000. The 3D visualization allows a maximum of up to 7,500 elevated modules or up to 10,000 roof-mounted modules.

Area Limitation

When planning with the Google Solar API or with a map section from another provider, you are limited to a size of 200 m x 200 m.

To maintain the inverter numbering, we recommend using the "Define Module Areas for Configuration" function. Detailed instructions with screenshots can be found in this article. First, define which modules should be configured together. Select the desired modules of the first module area, right-click on the selected modules, and choose "Add to 'Define Module Areas' Dialog." Repeat this for all module areas belonging to the same inverter/subsystem. (To access a different building, use the drop-down menu in the top menu bar.) Then, click "Configure" and configure Inverter 1/Subsystem 1. Repeat these steps for each subsystem/inverter. Subsequently, subsystems 1 to x have a fixed inverter assignment 1 to x. The inverter numbering is transferred to the string diagram and remains unchanged even if minor subsequent modifications are made to one of the configurations.

First, define which modules should be configured together. Select the desired modules of the first string (for larger systems: the first MPP tracker or the first inverter), right-click on the selected modules, and choose "Add to 'Define Module Areas' dialog." Then, click the "Define Module Areas for Configuration" button.

Rename the module area to "String 1" (for larger systems: "MPPT 1" or "Inverter 1"), either using the button or by right-clicking and selecting "Rename." Repeat these steps for all other strings (or MPP trackers/inverters). For the last string, you can use the "Import all unconfigured modules" button:

Then click "Configure" and select the inverter(s):

The string plan will be generated according to your specifications. You define the direction, starting point, and course of the strings in the lower left corner:

To take the PV-adjusted load profile (consumption profile minus PV self-consumption) into account, you need to perform two simulations.

You model the installed PV system (taking module degradation into account, depending on how long the system has been operating) and use a standard consumption profile stored in PV*SOL that best matches your consumption type. Estimate the annual electricity demand:

For the simulation, select the 1-minute time step.

In the results, check whether the value "Total consumption – covered by grid" matches the annual total of your measured load profile. If the deviation exceeds 10%, adjust the annual electricity demand in the consumption profile and run the simulation again:

Next, export the self-consumption data in 15-minute intervals. In Excel, add the 15-minute intervals of the measured load profile and the simulated self-consumption.

For storage system design, you can now import your total load profile into PV*SOL. Delete the previously selected default load profile. Further information on importing load profiles can be found in our help documentation.

Then pre-select the power optimizer(s):

You can then use the button, which is now active, to generate an automatic configuration proposal featuring SolarEdge inverters and SolarEdge optimizers:

For older program versions (up to 2021), a short tutorial video on polystring and power optimizer configuration is available here:

First, define a separate module area for the two shaded modules.

1. Ensure that PV modules can be selected individually.
2. Select both modules and right-click to choose "Add to 'Define Module Areas' dialog."
3. Click "Define Module Areas for Configuration."

In the "Define Module Areas" dialog:

1. Rename the module area to "Roof Area South - shaded."
2. Import all other modules and rename them to "Roof Area South - not shaded."
3. Click "Configure."

Next, in the inverter configuration window, select both module areas and choose "Configure module areas together":

Now select the desired inverter, choose the polystring configuration (for one of the four MPP trackers), check the box for "Power optimizers," and assign the two module areas as follows:

The two modules with optimizers are then correctly assigned in the string diagram:

This can be visualized as follows:

If you were to place a ball on the module surface, it would not roll exactly in the direction of the mounting system due to the two tilts, but would instead roll in the direction of the roof pitch. This is the resulting module orientation. The steeper the roof pitch, the greater the deviation of the resulting module orientation from the orientation of the mounting system. For example, if you have a mounting system facing south on a west-facing roof, the ball will not roll south, but southwest.

Scenario 2: To configure several—but not all—modules from the same roof area to a single inverter, first select them by holding down the Ctrl key and left-clicking. Then, right-click and select "Configure":

Scenario 3: You can also configure multiple module areas on different roof areas together. First, define which modules should be configured together. Select the desired modules from the first module area, right-click on the selected modules, and choose "Add to 'Define Module Areas' Dialog." Use the gray arrow to switch to the other side of the same roof. (Or you can use the dropdown menu in the top menu bar to switch to a different building.)

Now select the desired modules of the second module area, right-click on the selected modules, and choose "Add to 'Define Module Areas' dialog." Then click the "Define Module Areas for Configuration" button:

You can rename the module areas if necessary (right-click → Rename). Then click "Configure":

In the inverter configuration window, select both module areas and click "Configure module areas together." You can then select the desired inverter:

For greater flexibility in component selection and improved transparency during the planning process, we recommend that you initially plan your stand-alone system as if it were a grid-connected system:

1. On the "System Type, Climate and Grid" page, select a grid-connected system.
2. Set the feed-in limit to zero; then no energy will be fed into the grid:
   
3. The value under "Total consumption covered by grid" indicates the energy that cannot be covered by the PV system. This energy must be provided by the backup generator or (if you are not planning on a backup generator) "approach zero".
   

After entering information for both consumers (household consumption and heat pump), you can add a second tariff on the "Financial Analysis" page:

Now you can assign the corresponding consumer (household consumption or heat pump) to each tariff:

Assuming that the demand profile represents the tenants' consumption, self-consumption corresponds to selling electricity to the tenants.

This can be accounted for through savings by defining a from-grid tariff that corresponds to the selling price to the tenants.

The electricity fed into the grid is compensated with a feed-in tariff or via direct marketing.

Since the operator may also have to/be able to guarantee security of supply, the generated PV energy may not be sufficient to cover the tenants' demand. In this case, electricity must be purchased from the grid by the energy supplier.

To account for this, you must multiply the amount of electricity purchased by the energy supplier's price per kWh and enter this value under "Other Costs" in the "Financial Analysis" under "Economic Parameters --> Cost Balance".

You must determine the costs of your planned system yourself. The calculated system price is entered into the profitability analysis and thus forms the basis for the financial forecast.

The forms in the "financial analysis" module are pre-populated with sample values and do not represent average or empirical values. You must adjust these to suit your specific project.

On the "Results" page, you can display the same data series for different time intervals in a diagram using the diagram editor: