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This part aims to perform a thorough PV-system design and performance analysis using detailed hourly simulations.

These are organised in the framework of a Project, which essentially holds the geographical situation and meteorological hourly data. Optimisations and parameter analysis can be performed through different simulation runs, called variants.

Procedure:

NB: You have a step-by-step tutorial to create your first project.

After choosing "Project Design" and the system type in the main window, the procedure is the following:

-        First define the Project through the "Project/Variant" button. You can also retrieve an existing project through the "File" menu.

-        For one Project  (including basically Geographic Location and Meteo, with eventual Albedo data), you can construct different system variants (as many as you need).

-        For each variant, define the plane orientation.

-        Define the System properties.

-        The program verifies the consistency of all parameters, and produces "Warnings" in Orange (acceptable for simulation) or Red (preventing simulation) LED's.

-        When ready (all parameters properly defined, that is only Green or Orange LED's), press the "Simulation" button.  Red buttons or warnings indicate bad definitions which prevent the simulation.

-        When the simulation is completed, you will enter the "Results" dialog to consult the main results on the "Report" document.

-        After simulation, each variant may be saved for further comparisons (please use "Save as" to avoid overwriting your previous variants). You are advised to define a significant description for each variant, in order to easily retrieve them in the list and to obtain a suited title in your final report.

For a given project, you are advised to first construct a rough variant keeping all parameters to their proposed default values.

In a second step, you can define the required refinements:

-        In the "System" definition panel, you can modify the "Detailed losses" (soiling, IAM, module temperature parameters, wiring resistance, module quality, mismatch,  unavailability, etc).

-        eventually define a Horizon profile  (far shadings),

-        Near shadings, that is partial shadings of near objects, which require a rather complex CAO 3D construction of the PV-field environment.

-        Module Layout for a description of the PV modules in the system, for the detailed calculation of the electrical shading losses.    

The following diagram shows an outline of the project's organization and simulation process.