November 2023 Updates

Use Cases

Layout Polishing - A Focus on Craftsmanship

At PVFARM, we understand that we can’t capture all potential cases with automation, and that is why we work hard to provide users with world-class manual editing tools on top of our automated solvers. There is no substitute for human craftsmanship.

Roads are a prime example where there are thousands of possible conditions and users preferences. PVFARM makes it super simple to generate the block of clay and we provide some great tools for users to sculpt with.

Here’s a recent example of this process. On the left, an instantly generated layout with placeholders for roads; on the right, a user-modified design based on specific preferences. You can clearly see that the overall efficiency is comparable (and in some cases better!) and PVFARM’s versioning system allows users experiment with different approaches at no risk of losing work.

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Fixed tilt and tracker systems on a single site

PVFARM now offers enhanced capabilities for seamlessly integrating fixed tilt and tracker systems on a single site. Users can easily divide a site into different areas to experiment with a mix of equipment.

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New Features

Stability and Multi-User Performance

We’ve been working hard behind the scenes to (further!) improve our solvers and make the multi-user experience as smooth as possible.

Users collaborating on the same project (concurrently) can now run as many Cut-and-Fill analyses as needed, and generate projects up to 700MW! without lag…all from the comfort of their web browser. Multi-user mode also has improved performance for, wiring, trenching, grading, qty, and cost calculations.

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DXF Import

In addition to our export capabilities, we're excited to introduce the ability to import your CAD layout to PVFARM directly via DXF format!

Users can now seamlessly cycle between CAD and PVFARM:

• Convert flat CAD blocks to rich 3D equipment with performance criteria, detailed quantities, and costs
• Place and evaluate equipment on 3D terrain, automate grading, and instantly quantify earthwork volumes
• Export real (3D) layout to PVSyst and evaluate the Energy with respect to 3D orientation on terrain.
• And of course, users can still export seamlessly to CAD for flexible design iterations to find the best design for your project.

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Improvements

Layout Import

• Metrics for imported layout
  Get Layout Metrics for your imported Layout at the click of a button! Analyze your own Layouts with the charts, play with the flexibility of the Quantity reports, and export data to Excel.
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• Improved tracker matching
  We improved the ability to match our detailed tracker library with rectangular CAD block imports! Bring your unique Layout into PVFARM and quickly find the right equipment from the PVFARM Catalog with pinpoint accuracy based on tracker length.
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Material Takeoff per SubArea

Combine multiple configurations within a single layout and enjoy the analysis for each individual Subarea.

Bug Fixes & Performance

We've successfully resolved 42 issues spanning new features, recent improvements, and the AutoCAD/Civil3D plugin.

On top of that, we have an updated:

• default terrain elevation color scheme

• Subareas improvements: GCR calculation, multi-selection for boundaries, and existing roads support
• Surface Import improvements: GeoTiff by Global Mapper, increased the maximum surface file size that can be imported into the PVFARM

• Our team remains committed to ensuring a seamless user experience and squashing bugs as fast as we can find them. To our users: keep ‘em coming!