Hello, 

can the PV*Sol Premium 2025 version be used to model a solar power plant on uneven terrain, if there is a surveyor’s topographic map with contour lines available?

Thanks in advance!

Hi Gordana,

you can import 3D models in PV*SOL, no problem. You can also import terrain data via the Google Solar API. But the design of real large scale solar plants on uneven terrain is not what PV*SOL is made for. 

Best regards,

Martin

Hello Martin,

Thank you for your answer, here is my problem... I made a terrain in SketchUp, and I exporeted it as a obj. file, and then imported in my pv sol project as terrain, but it is not possible to mount pv panels on my imported terrain so what I could do? I am not sure how I can use Google API regarding this terrain issue. I am attaching here my project for you to see. Solar plant that i inted to make would be less than 150 kWp, ground mounted, but it is important to be realisticly mounted because these terrain has slopes... Thanks in advance!

 

Šipovo.pvprj Sipovo.skp

Hi Gordana, 

in order to be able to place modules or mounting structure onto the terrain, you'll need to add mounting surfaces first. These mounting surfaces are flat (two-dimensional) and adapt to the inclination of the terrain. However, you can only place modules inside the boundary of such a mounting surface. Also, the mounting posts will be perpendicular to the mounting surfaces, so really not vertical. 

Here is a quick draft of what you can achieve if you choose to go that way. If you just want to have a shading analysis and the yield simulation, you can surely go this way. If you need to have the exact length and position of the mounting structure, or mounting structures without gaps in between, or anything more advanced, you can not use PV*SOL for that, I am afraid.

Hope that helps, kind regards,

Martin

Thanks for detail explanation.

Best regards, 

Gordana

Hello admins,

I am asking again about same project that i sent you above, when I placed solar panels on surface I receoved this message and I dont know how to fix this problem. I want to follow the inclination of the terrain as much as possible. I would also like to have inclination 30 degrees for every section, but I do not know how to make it because tilting angles of panells differ because of the different inclination of the terrain,

Thanks in advance!

Gordana

On 6/27/2025 at 8:46 AM, developer_mh said:

Hi Gordana, 

in order to be able to place modules or mounting structure onto the terrain, you'll need to add mounting surfaces first. These mounting surfaces are flat (two-dimensional) and adapt to the inclination of the terrain. However, you can only place modules inside the boundary of such a mounting surface. Also, the mounting posts will be perpendicular to the mounting surfaces, so really not vertical. 

Here is a quick draft of what you can achieve if you choose to go that way. If you just want to have a shading analysis and the yield simulation, you can surely go this way. If you need to have the exact length and position of the mounting structure, or mounting structures without gaps in between, or anything more advanced, you can not use PV*SOL for that, I am afraid.

Hope that helps, kind regards,

Martin

Hi,

I wanted to ask you, did you drow manualy  mounting surfaces or how did you do that, if you could give me step by step explanation. I tried to automaticly drow mountaing surface and that was not good because there were many surfaces whose dimensions were too small to put section of panels. Then I tried to draw them manually, but inclination of terrain should be 27. 4 degrees and in pv sol is 20 degrees on that mountain surface. I belive I can not change that because it is directed by 3D terrain model.

I actually want to make shading losses calculation and to see wich row distance would be suitable, to have minimal losses. I do not know is it ok then to have inclination of terrain 20 degrees when it should be 27. Would it change length of shade and also row distance or it is a pretty good aproksimation?

thank you in advance

Gordana

Dear Gordana,

Thank you for your inquiry.

Unfortunately, PV*SOL is not suitable for visualising large ground-mounted installations on uneven terrain. The tool for drawing mounting surfaces is suitable for marking out building areas, but on your open space you have hardly any reference points for dividing your uneven total area into approximately level sub-areas in order to cover them with individual rows of mounting systems. 

Unfortunately, it is also not possible to specify a uniform module inclination. The inclination of a drawn mounting surface can only be determined by defining a mounting system and then subtracting the module inclination from the resulting inclination. This method of planning rows of mounting systems with a uniform resulting module inclination would be very time-consuming. Unfortunately, we can only recommend that you use different software for your planning.