Specify Site Layout Tool (legacy)
Important
This page refers to the legacy Specify Site Layout Tool. Most users should now be using the more powerful newer Specify Site Layout Tool. This legacy dialog was left in for the few things that the new dialog cannot yet do (e.g., using inverter blocks).
The Specify Site Layout Tool (also known as generic layout functionality) in SolarFarmer allows you to:
- Create a site layout (create one layout region or use existing layout regions)
- Fill this with racks or trackers
- Automatically add modules and strings to central inverters (that are automatically created and added)
By specifying several parameters you can quickly produce several site layouts with slightly different properties (e.g. pitch, tilt, module specification).
Using the UI
In the 'Lay out plant → Design layout' task, in the 'Site Layouts' panel in the bottom left, click the 'Specify...' button to launch the Specify Site Layout dialog. The generic layout functionality is controlled from here:
The functionality is described below.
Using Scripting
You can also employ the generic layout functionality using scripting. In fact, using scripting harnesses its power enabling you to quickly generate multiple site layouts using parameter sweeps, creating potential site layouts to use for optimisation purposes.
See Specify Site for more details on using scripting for generic layout.
Specify Site Layout Functionality in Depth
There are 3 generic layout commands that you can use:
Update current site layout | Uses the generic layout settings to update the current (visible) site layout. This will delete all existing racks/trackers and inverters so be careful.
This is useful to experiment with various setting options. |
Create new site layout from empty | Creates a completely new site layout; populating it from the settings you provide.
Optionally choose to add a transformer instance to assign the newly created central inverters to. |
Create new site layout from existing | Creates a new site layout based on an existing one that you specify. It will discard any racks/trackers and inverters but retain everything else. |
The availability of the three options depends on the combination of the settings you select.
The settings consist of an area limitation, electrical limitation and a fill option to use with the area limitation.
Area Limitation Options
Limit to all layout regions |
|
No limits |
|
Limit by area |
|
Electrical Limitation Options
None |
|
Max AC Capacity |
|
DC System Size |
|
Fill Options
The fill option is used to fill the layout regions. Currently only one fill option can be used for the whole site. Future-plans include using different fill options for different layout regions.
There are 2 options: Use Individual Components or Use Inverter Blocks.
Use Individual Components
First, select the components to use in the layout:
Settings like the inverter specification, module specification, the string size to use, the DC/AC ratio and the string pattern are chosen. It automatically calculates the number of strings per inverter input from the settings you choose. It also displays the statistics for one inverter to help with sizing.
Then choose the how to lay out these components (and if racks or trackers). This can be one of 3 options:
Fixed-tilt racks:
Single-axis trackers:
Use existing racks/trackers:
Using this option does not delete any existing racks/trackers from the layout but uses those already there. This way you can manually place and move the racks/trackers and keep their positions when using the generic layout functionality. You have the option of removing any empty racks/trackers after adding strings and modules. Though these will be permanently deleted so be careful with this option.
The UI displays some 'Desired site layout statistics' and 'Actual site layout statistics':
The 'desired' statistics are updated as you update the settings (the current limitations and fill option).
The 'actual' statistics are updated after you run one of the generic layout commands and may not reflect the desired due to area limitations (either not enough space in existing layout regions, or there is an area limit).
Note: The actual layout of the strings and inverters is simple at the moment - i.e. it starts at the top and works down. This is not ideal and will be improved in future implementations.
Use Inverter Blocks
Instead of using individual components you can choose to fill the layout regions with inverter blocks. With this option choose the inverter block specification to use to fill the layout region:
Future implementations may allow you to choose several inverter block specifications and fill using a priority order.
Remove Empty Racks/Trackers
Sometimes you are left with completely empty racks or trackers in your layout. This is indicated by a validation error in the 'Design layout' task:
It can be hard to find these empty racks or trackers when there are several hundred or thousand in the layout.
To help, there is a button in the Specify Site Layout dialog (shown in red below):
This will remove all completely empty racks or trackers from the site layout; saving you having to find and delete them manually.