Re: PV*SOL Expert 5.5 Launch. Sneak preview and exclusive Electricians Forum discount
Good morning all – it’s excellent to see so much interest in our new baby!
Dealing with your questions in the order posted:
SolarCity & ISPelectrical – At the time of writing (prices are linked to the Euro so may fluctuate slightly), the cost to update from PV*SOL Expert 5.0 Gridcon to PV*SOL Expert 5.5 Gridcon is £206.24 + VAT. The offer price to EF members is £185.62 + VAT. Unless of course you have purchased
The Software Maintenance Agreement (
Software Maintenance Agreements (SMA), in which case it’s free.
Moggy1968 – PV*SOL is sophisticated engineering software which performs complex analyses on the shading environment. Of course, we understand that this approach to PV system design is not everyone’s cup of tea. However, the vast majority of our customers find the results are incredibly useful for deciding configurations and layouts. The new PV*SOL Expert 5.5 is now easier to use than before. Why not send me your queries by email (
[email protected]) and I’ll be happy to assist with any difficulties you may be experiencing.
ISPelectrical – PV*SOL is sold worldwide and can easily be adapted to any country’s regional regulatory requirements. As you correctly state, we do offer support for adaption in the form of pdf’s and other documents for which we do not charge. We also offer free email support so please feel free to send us any queries or even complete projects with which you may be having problems. There is also a manual and searchable help menu within the software plus 2 training videos within the Photoplan section of the program. Our website contains a Frequently Asked Questions page which deals with most of the common queries. If you need an answer to a question that isn’t covered by the above and it really can’t wait then there is our technical support phone line which is on a premium rate number. This line is manned daily from 9am to 5pm (except from 12-1). This service implies costs to us because we have to employ someone on a full time basis to provide the cover. We suggest you explore the free options first. In the near future we shall also be offering free webinars. Also we offer training sessions at various locations around the country which will get you up to speed with the software in a couple of days. Please get in touch if you require available dates and pricing information for these sessions (or refer to our website:
T*SOL and PV*SOL Training).
Infinity & SolarCity – Please refer to my first answer above or get in touch if you require clarification on pricing. I think you’ll find it’s a lot cheaper than you think.
Moggy1968 – You will be pleased to hear that a measuring tool is now included in PV*SOL Expert and any object can be positioned relative to any other object using this tool. You can also choose from which corner or edge you are measuring to and from. Why not download the free demo and see for yourself?
PV*SOL Expert
Moggy1968& ISPelectrical – I can send you a word document which explains the terms used on the first page of the report. You can also press the F1 key on your keyboard and search for ‘definitions’. The terminology used is standard for the PV industry. Send me you email addresses to:
[email protected] and I’ll send you the document.
ISPelectrical – With regard to your project involving 2 roofs. Go to System>Technical Data. On the System page enter ‘2’ into the number of arrays box and slect ‘single system inverter’ (or multiple if you prefer). Now click on ‘Array 1’ at the bottom of the screen and define slope, inclination, module type. Then either use the roof layout option to draw this section of the roof to calculate the possible module quantity or just type the value in if you already have decided. Repeat for array 2 then go to the inverter page and select. Lastly perform a system check to ensure all is good and you’re done.
Grandfortune – Please refer to my first comment above At the time of writing (prices are linked to the Euro so may fluctuate slightly), the cost to update from PV*SOL Expert 5.0 Gridcon to PV*SOL Expert 5.5 Gridcon is £206.24 + VAT. The offer price to EF members is £185.62 + VAT. Unless of course you have purchased
The Software Maintenance Agreement (
Software Maintenance Agreements (SMA)), in which case it’s free. Of course you don’t have to buy the upgrade – it’s entirely optional. Try the free demo from our download page and see if you like it:
PV*SOL: computer simulation software for designing and calculating photovoltaic systems. If you’re not convinced then stick with what you’ve got. Expert 5.0 remains a very slick and powerful package. Training is not obligatory either – it just helps people get up to speed as quickly as possible. Our customers generally report that the time saved is worth the expense but of course we offer many free avenues of support if you learn better under your steam.
ISPelectrical – Thanks for your price correction. Hopefully you’ve also seen my comments as to the level of free support on offer. We’re here to help you get the most out of PV*SOL.
Moggy1968 – Graph paper is one way to design and optimise a pv system. However for an hourly analysis of a 365 day simulation based on local climatic and shading data with system checks on electrical outputs and module/inverter compatibility for various configurations (not to mention consideration of cable sizes, altitude, orientation and slope to the nearest degree) plus the option to produce a photorealistic image and/or a 3D shading yield reduction analysis all wrapped up with a financial evaluation including payback time, internal rate of return & break even point and presented with screenshots on a professionally constructed report…you might find you’ll need a fair few bits of graph paper.
ISPelectrical – The shading analysis has got much easier in the new PV*SOL Expert 5.5. Get in touch and I’ll be glad to give you some pointers.
Moggy1968/ISPelectrical – You can just present a SAP calculation but as ISPelectrical rightly points out, there are many generic assumptions made in the SAP methodology and it can at best only be used as a rough estimate. And yes, customers are more picky these days (and rightly so). In fact some large investors demand the use of software such as PV*SOL because it generates, among other things, a
Specific Annual Yield calculation – often used as a benchmark figure for assessing a project’s financial viability. At the end of the day, as with most things in life, it’s a case of ‘you pay your money, you take your choice.’ You can either tender for jobs with a rough estimate on the back of an envelope or present a professionally constructed report with all the features and details described above. Put yourself in the shoes of your client. Which would you prefer?
SolarCity – Got it in one. Shading is a complex and important issue for PV system design. PV*SOL not only gives you a module by module analysis of the effects of shading throughout the year, but also lets you run a video from and to any point in the year which animates the Sun’s course and resultant shadows throughout each day. As you rightly point out, the result can often surprise.
