Eros
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I am looking for some design and estimating PV software that can be used with iPhones and iPads - any suggestions. Thx
helioscope
I apologize for the diversion, but you touched a hot button of mine. After not using it for more than a year, I subscribed (you cannot buy it any more) to Adobe Acrobat Pro, now called Acrobat DC. During my hiatus from the software, Adobe made major "improvements" to the program so that it will run on mobile devices, and in the process made it so difficult to use on a desktop system that I am this close <holding up thumb and index finger about 1/4 inch apart> to abandoning my one year prepaid investment in the program and switching to Bluebeam.I am looking for some design and estimating PV software that can be used with iPhones and iPads - any suggestions. Thx
NREL/SAM is also very good (not online), it does the $$ and usage also (Helioscope doesn't do those)
https://sam.nrel.gov/
How does SAM compare with http://pvwatts.nrel.gov/ ?
dude... BLUEBEAM is the best program I've ever used I would like to quit using cad and do all my designs in bluebeamI apologize for the diversion, but you touched a hot button of mine. After not using it for more than a year, I subscribed (you cannot buy it any more) to Adobe Acrobat Pro, now called Acrobat DC. During my hiatus from the software, Adobe made major "improvements" to the program so that it will run on mobile devices, and in the process made it so difficult to use on a desktop system that I am this close <holding up thumb and index finger about 1/4 inch apart> to abandoning my one year prepaid investment in the program and switching to Bluebeam.
For one, the tools icons are so huge on a desktop monitor that instead of compact detailed toolbars where I could have everything I needed at my fingertips, the tools button takes my document off the screen and replaces it with a full page of giant icons. Also, some functions that I use all the time are now buried three or four deep in nested menus instead of being a tool button out where I can see them. Now I have to remember down which rabbit hole they stuck them and what they are called now.
They took a logically laid out program that was intuitively simple to use and tried to make it all things to all people, and in the process made it so that it doesn't work well for anybody.
end rant
It's much more detailed.
I'm doing a PV Watts one right now to compare-
1. You can upload your own/closer to actual location weather file into SAM, PVW seems to just give the nearest city.
2. PVWatts does let you choose 1 or 2 axis tracking, not sure if SAM has that or not.
3. There are only 2 pages of inputs for PVWatts, and you kinda need the info you get from Helioscope or SAM to fill out the losses correctly.
4. SAM is really like 10x as detailed- there's "detailed" and "basic" options on SAM, even the basic one is way more detailed.
You can also upload a "load profile" into SAM, which is this 8760 line text file thing- I made a spreadsheet that lets you take any electric bill's 12 kWh/month numbers and plug them in, and makes the 8760 row column for ya! Yes, I'm a nerd. Let me know if you want to try it - just a .xls file that you fill in the 12 lines each of kWh and days per month.
Plus, you can pick all the specific panels/inverters/strings sizes with SAM, and detailed costs.
It might take 5 or 10 minutes to do an "estimate" with PVW, but it only takes 15-20 minutes with SAM when you get the hang of it, but then with SAM you have literally thousands of charts and graphs to confuse yourself with, financial and PV-output related.
I've written my own software using Sam SDK in MATLAB... it was pretty comprehensive and did a very detailed analysis of the costs and losses of conductors, more than any current program out there
It does a BOM, does it not?That's interesting, Helioscope does losses pretty well but not cost.
Is that software...available anywhere?
nope I wrote it and published a paper using it. only I have a copy and sadly I don't really use it because I don't have a licence for the software I made it in, matlabThat's interesting, Helioscope does losses pretty well but not cost.
Is that software...available anywhere?
It does a BOM, does it not?
Component | Name | Count |
---|---|---|
Inverter | Sunny Tripower 20000TL-US (SMA) | 3 (60.0 kW) |
Transformer | Primary Side: 240V 1-Phase, Secondary: 480Y/277V | 1 |
AC Panel | 3 input Panel | 1 |
Combiner | 2 pole Combiner | 3 |
Combiner | 3 pole Combiner | 6 |
AC Home Run | 500 MCM (Copper) | 1 (36.7 ft) |
AC Home Run | 3/0 AWG (Copper) | 3 (985.3 ft) |
Home Runs | 1/0 AWG (Copper) | 9 (4,200.6 ft) |
Strings | 6 AWG (Copper) | 18 (1,677.5 ft) |
Module | AXIblackpremium AC-250M/156-60S (Axitec) | 306 |
That's understandable. Depending on the size of the company, its affiliation with a "mother ship" integrator, and a bazillion other factors, everyone's cost of materials is different. Plus, prices are changing constantly. A BOM should be enough.Materials, yes, but nothing about $$ for them.
That's understandable. Depending on the size of the company, its affiliation with a "mother ship" integrator, and a bazillion other factors, everyone's cost of materials is different. Plus, prices are changing constantly. A BOM should be enough.
And, is it just me, or does that "affiliation with a mother ship" thing sometimes...make the prices go UP?
Not gonna name names, but...whew.
Materials, yes, but nothing about $$ for them.
You could copy/paste them into a spreadsheet and export a pdf from there.
It tells you the exact amount of wire (to a point, the wires only go left/right and up/down, you can only move the panels and combiners, not the wires, so they end up going straight over the house sometimes, depending on layout. But you can leave the wiring out of the pdf/pic it produces and then put it in where you want, with Paint or whatever)
So you get the equipment and links to the specs, but nothing anywhere about the cost of the equip.
I think you have to have at least a free account for these links to work. I'll find an example pdf an upload it.
edit: this 1st "AC Home Run" is really the "PCC Home Run"
There are a few little glitches, but I emailed the guy who wrote it and they're fixing them.
I'd recommend the free webinar they do- it's one hour and pretty helpful.
Components
Component Name Count Inverter Sunny Tripower 20000TL-US (SMA) 3 (60.0 kW) Transformer Primary Side: 240V 1-Phase, Secondary: 480Y/277V 1 AC Panel 3 input Panel 1 Combiner 2 pole Combiner 3 Combiner 3 pole Combiner 6 AC Home Run 500 MCM (Copper) 1 (36.7 ft) AC Home Run 3/0 AWG (Copper) 3 (985.3 ft) Home Runs 1/0 AWG (Copper) 9 (4,200.6 ft) Strings 6 AWG (Copper) 18 (1,677.5 ft) Module AXIblackpremium AC-250M/156-60S (Axitec) 306
One doesn't, but I think he sees it now. http://forums.mikeholt.com/showthread.php?t=170392How does one use a "Transformer- Primary Side: 240V 1-Phase, Secondary: 480Y/277V" with the Sunny Tripower 20000TL-US that are 3-phase 480/277V?
How does one use a "Transformer- Primary Side: 240V 1-Phase, Secondary: 480Y/277V" with the Sunny Tripower 20000TL-US that are 3-phase 480/277V?