Lithuania-based software developer PVcase has launched PVcase Roof Mount, a new piece of software for solar developers to optimise installations in the rooftop sector.
PVcase Roof Mount is a plugin for the AutoCAD design programme, and enables users to construct replicas of buildings and electrical systems in both the commercial and industrial sectors. The programme uses a system the company calls “shading calculation” to assess how likely a part of the building’s roof is to be covered in shade, and how this will affect the output of any solar modules installed on the roof and determine which panels are likely to be the most and least efficient.
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The programme also allows designs to be exported to PVsyst, a separate programme which can compare one design to another, and calculates the cost of building each structure, so developers can assess which projects are likely to be more cost-effective to build.
“We’ve taken the learnings we gathered from PVcase Ground Mount tool and adapted them to the rooftop’s unique challenges,” said PVcase CEO David Trainavicius. “Rooftop solar is seeing massive growth through support from global legislative changes. We look forward to offering solutions for an even faster and more efficient rooftop solar scale-up.”
As Trainavicius suggests, the programme is based on an earlier piece of software developed by PVcase, PVcase Ground Mount, which provides a similar service for ground-mount solar projects.
The company noted that it expects developers using the roof-mounted system to reduce the time required to complete planning work by 60-70%, a significant time saving in a sector that is accelerating the rate at which new projects are being commissioned; Italy is planning to add 4GW of new solar capacity this year, while last week, France concluded its largest-ever ground-mount solar tender.
The news follows a successful summer for PVcase, in which it acquired US solar siting software platform Anderson Optimization, and then secured US$100 million in funding for future projects.
PV Tech and PVCase are co-hosting a webinar that will look at their software tool for planning rooftop PV plants digitally – PVcase Roof Mount. To register for the webinar, which takes place at 16:00 GMT on 8 November 2023, please click here.