Layout

Ensuring perfect alignment

For fields that should have perfect 90º angles, there's an easy two-step process to follow in Solesca to ensure the field has perfect corners and the layout works as expected.

Hold "Shift" while drawing a new field or dragging the corners of an existing field. A red line(s) will appear when it's snapped to a perfect 90º relative to the previous or next lines you've drawn. By default, Solesca will snap to the cardinal directions (N,E,S,W) when drawing or dragging, but if you have a field with a non-180º azimuth, holding "Shift" is necessary to get that relative angle snap.
Click the edge of the field to which you'd like to set the azimuth to, and simply click "Set azimuth to xº". This will ensure the azimuth is perfectly aligned with the field, making the layout algorithm work properly.

Layout

Solesca has the most advanced panel layout functionality available for a browser-based software platform. You have three options for alignment, described below.

Buttons

The simplest option to align panels is by using the buttons available in the inspector panel.

For fixed-tilt (and carport, flush mount, and dual-axis tracking), you can control whether the layout goes top-down or bottom-up, and whether it is biased to the left, center, or right. Note that it will always prioritize starting at the top or bottom first, and then left/center/right comes second.

For single-axis tracking and east-west configurations, these options are rotated 90º. So, you have the ability to first control if the layout is left-right or right-left, and then second, whether it starts at the top, center, or bottom.

Align to edge

If you'd like panels to follow the edge of a field, you can click on the edge and click "Align to edge." This will effectively create an alignment line (described below) that follows the edge of the field.

Alignment lines

Alignment lines are custom-drawn lines that control the placement of the edges of the frames. They enable high levels of control over panel placement, and as such, are only available in engineering mode.

Aligned rows vs. Unaligned rows

Aligned rows essentially follows a grid-like pattern, where panels snap to a grid that is created from the largest frame. Unaligned rows will place modules as close as possible to the alignment line (or alignment direction), and will not preserve any grid-like pattern.

Automatic Row Spacing

Auto row spacing is able to be applied for all fixed tilt systems. You can set it either in the design templates or by clicking next to the row spacing within the field editor. We calculate the row spacing, from back of module in first row to front of module in second row, by the equation below. Modifying the tilt, module, module orientation, and number in frame up will automatically adjust the row spacing if enabled. To disable simply modify the row spacing, gcr, span-to-rise, or pitch manually.

Here is the equation used to determine the spacing:

$D_{row}$ : The optimal row distance. This is the value we are solving for.
$L_{module}$ : The length (or height) of the solar module(s), measured along the tilted axis.
$\beta$ : The tilt angle of the solar panel relative to the horizontal, measured in degrees.
$\alpha_{min}$ : The minimum sun altitude angle at solar noon on the winter solstice.

D_{row} = L_{module} \cdot \left( \cos(\beta) + \frac{\sin(\beta)}{\tan(\alpha_{min})} \right)

Automatic walkway generation

To generate walkways in Solesca simply right click on the edge of the field that you desire the azimuth to be set to and select "Set azimuth to xxº and create walkways." This will generate walkways that are 150' spaced with 6' setbacks for the entire field. These walkways are generated as obstructions so that you can move them as needed to fit your system.

Limit equipment DC/AC

If you'd like to limit the number of panels or inverters that are placed based, you can define a DC or AC limit (the AC limit gets converted to DC using the DC/AC ratio). This will start placing frames from a single direction, and ensures the panels will not exceed the specified DC or AC threshold. This can be used for specific panel counts as well: simply multiply the desired count of panels by the DC nameplate, and enter that as the DC threshold.

AC limit (grid curtailment)

In instances where you would like to keep your DC and AC equipment but manually curtail the system AC output (typically to meet utility or program requirements) you can enable AC limit. This allows you to enter any value and have the AC output of the system curtailed to that threshold. No modules or inverters will be removed.

Grid curtailment works at the system level. Even though this is applied at the system level, the ouput will be the same as if you derated one inverter. In instances where you desire to derate multiple inverters, you can still use grid curtailment but there may be very minor discrepancies.

This can be applied at the field or wiring zone level. If wiring zone, only the primary field will have this setting enabled.

If you have significant changes between the sum of the inverter's AC rating and the grid-curtailed AC limit you will see energy production and specific yeild values change. In small limits (for example going from 3MWAC to 2.999MWAC) there should be no appreciable difference in output.

Removing individual modules

In order to remove individual modules*, first select the field whose module(s) you would like to remove. Then, right-click on the desired frame to automatically remove it. When the field is selected, you will see a light blue representation of the removed frame. In order to add it back, simply left-click on that light blue region, or if you want to replace all of them at once, click the "Restore panels" button in the "Field" section of the field inspector (on the right side of your screen).

Technically, it will remove the entire frame of modules that has been placed. There is currently no way to remove specific modules within a larger frame. If you wish to only remove a single module, the frame size will need to be 1x1 (frame up = 1, frame wide = 1). For roof-mounted designs, which typically have 1x1 frame sizing anyway, this will truly delete individual modules.

Shade removing modules

In order to remove modules based on shade percent, you must first click simulate. Once simulated, you can scale the percent yearly shaded to a prefered value and see how many modules will be removed based on that input. After a desired cutoff is selected, click apply and simulate to calculate new energy numbers due to the removed modules.

To undo removing the modules, select "restore panels" within the right field editor.

To edit, select edit shade cutoff in simulate. There you can change the percent or cancel the cutoff.

When moving the array or obstruction, the old removed modules will remain until simulate is selected again. The desired shade cutoff is maintained, and the newly removed modules based on the new layout and obstructions will be applied once simulate is selected.

All removed modules will be applied to all exports, even if you modify the array or obstructions after setting a desired shade percent.

Frames

Solesca has the unique ability to model frames. Frames are used by setting the Frame high and Frame wide settings.

Frame high is how many modules high you desire. For SAT this will typically be 1, for FT 2 (for 2P) and for carports 3 or 5.
Frame wide is how many modules wide in the frame you need. For SAT this will typically be string length, for FT string length/2 and for carports this is normally 1.

We also have the ability to group Frame wide in a set of frames. This is crucial for SAT systems where 3-4 frames are included for each motor drive shaft. This can also be used for FT systems as well with the Frame spacing feature. Frame spacing is used either for road gaps on ground mounts or for module-to-module spacing when Frame wide is set to 1.

Field Data Obstructions