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Design Package | Inputs and Deliverables
Design Package | Inputs and Deliverables
Andrew - LR Product Ops avatar
Written by Andrew - LR Product Ops
Updated over a month ago

This article details our current design modeling criteria and deliverables expected from all approved design platforms. Following these modeling inputs is required on all LightReach sales.

Failure to follow design requirements, or intentional misuse of modeling criteria to artificially impact homeowner value propositions, may result in the termination of access to the LightReach product.

General Approved Inputs:

Below are general approved inputs, agnostic of specific platform.

Key Input

Details

Approved Modeling Software/

Production Engine

  • PV Watts V8

  • SAM

  • Aurora

Modeling Software/production engines must be used in conjunction with an approved design platform.

Approved Weather Data

In order of preference:

  • Recommended: PSM 3

  • TMY3

  • TMY2

Shading

Must be used when available. If not available for the property, manual accounting for any surrounding objects casting shade (trees, structures), etc must be accurately modeled.

Acceptable Shade Models:

  • LiDAR

  • DSM (Low Aerial Imagery)

  • Drone (Scanifly)

  • Solmetrics/SunEye

Approved Platforms & Inputs

Platform

Inputs

Aerialytic

Inputs are set and locked by Aerialytic - no installer action required

Aurora

Click here for inputs

Navigating to project settings for Individual Aurora projects.

* Images above for illustrative purposes

  • General

    • Simulation: Auto

    • Shading Engine: On

    • Use LiDAR Shading: On

    • Use Horizon shading: On

  • Aurora

    • Irradiance Model: Perez

    • Inverter Clipping: On

    • Weather Dataset: PSM3, NREL-PSM, TMY3 or TMY2

  • PV Watts (Does not apply to Aurora simulation engine)

    • Default Inverter Efficiency (Used for any panel not connected to an inverter): 97%

    • Default DC to AC ratio (Used for any panel not connected to an inverter): 1.5

    • Weather Dataset: PSM3, NREL-PSM, TMY3 or TMY2

  • System Loses (See Total Percentage by state in System Loss Chart, below is just a suggestion)

    • Nameplate rating: 1.00%

    • Mismatch: 1.50%

    • Connections: 0.50%

    • Light-Induced Degradation:1.50%

    • Wiring: 2.00%

    • Soiling: 2.00%

    • Availability: 1.00%

    • Shading: Varies by site

    • Age: 0.00%

    • Snow: Varies by state/county

    • Other: 0.0%

Boston Solar

Inputs are set and locked by Boston Solar - no installer action required

Eagleview

Click here for inputs

**Image above is for illustration purposes and does not depict actual LightReach Inputs.

  • PV Watts Settings (Due to platform not displaying a total system loss, please following the data below along with the snow loss per state):

    • Soiling: 2.00%

    • Snow: Varies by state/county

    • Mismatch: 1.50%

    • Wiring: 2%

    • Connections: 0.50%

    • Light-Induced Degradation:1.50%

    • Age: 0.00%

    • Availability: 1.00%

    • Nameplate rating: 1.00%

OpenSolar

Click here for inputs


**Image above is for illustration purposes and does not depict actual LightReach Inputs.

  • General (Due to platform not displaying a total system loss, please following the data below along with the snow loss per state):

    • AC Wiring: 1.5%

    • Nameplate: 1.0%

    • Diodes and Connections: 0.5%

    • DC System Availability: 2.0%

    • AC System Availability: 0.0%

  • String Inverters

    • Soiling: 2.0% + Snow Loss % (Varies by state/county)

    • DC Wiring: 0.5%

    • Mismatch: 1.5%

  • MicroInverters

    • Soiling: 2.0% + Snow Loss % (Varies by state/county)

    • DC Wiring: 0.5%

    • Mismatch: 1.5%

  • DC Optimizers

    • Soiling: 2.0% + Snow Loss % (Varies by state/county)

    • DC Wiring: 0.5%

    • Mismatch: 1.5%

Scanifly

Click here for inputs

**Image above is for illustration purposes and does not depict actual LightReach Inputs.

  • System Parameters

    • DC to AC Size Ratio: 1.5

    • Inverter Efficiency: 97%

  • Estimate System Losses (See Total Percentage by state in System Loss Chart, below is just a suggestion)

    • Shading: Varies by site

    • Snow: Varies by state/county

    • Mismatch: 1.5%

    • Wiring: 2.0%

    • Connections: 0.5%

    • Light-Induced Degradation:1.5%

    • Nameplate rating: 1.0%

    • Age: 0.0%

    • Availability: 1.0%

    • Soiling: 2.0%

Solargraf

Click here for inputs

Due to platform not displaying a total system loss, please following the data below along with the snow loss per state:

  • Soiling: 2.0%

  • DC Wiring: 2.0% *(0% if using microinverters)*

  • AC Wiring: 2.0% *(0% if using string inverters)*

  • Connections: 0.5%

  • Nameplate rating: 1.0%

  • Availability: 1.0%

  • Snow: Varies by state/county

  • Mismatch: 1.5%

  • Light-Induced Degradation:1.5%

  • Age: 0.0%

Solo

Inputs are set and locked by Solo - no installer action required

Subcontractor Hub

Inputs are set and locked by Subcontractor hub - no installer action required

SunRebel

Inputs are set and locked by SunRebel - no installer action required

LightFusion

Inputs are set and locked by LightFusion - no installer action required

System Loss Settings

Note: Massachusetts and New York states are broken up by County due to widely varying snow loss in these states. To find out which county your project is in, you can use the following to look it up by address: https://geocodify.com/what-county-am-i-in

State(s)

Snow Loss (Only use if design platform does not have a total value)

Minimum System Loss without Shade Loss (Includes Snow Loss)

  • Alabama

  • Arkansas

  • Arizona

  • California

  • Florida

  • Georgia

  • Hawaii

  • Louisiana

  • Mississippi

  • North Carolina

  • New Mexico

  • Nevada

  • Oklahoma

  • Oregon

  • South Carolina

  • Tennessee

  • Texas

  • Virginia

  • Washington

0%

9.1%

  • Delaware

  • Kansas

  • Kentucky

  • Massachusetts (All Counties except)

    • Berkshire

    • Franklin

    • Worcester

  • Maryland

  • Missouri

  • New Jersey

  • New York (Specific Counties)

    • Bronx

    • Kings

    • Nassau

    • New York

    • Orange

    • Putnam

    • Queens

    • Richmond

    • Rockland

    • Suffolk

    • Westchester

  • Utah

  • West Virginia

2%

10.5%

  • Colorado

  • Connecticut

  • Iowa

  • Idaho

  • Illinois

  • Indiana

  • Massachusetts (Specific Counties)

    • Berkshire

    • Franklin

    • Worcester

  • Nebraska

  • New Hampshire

  • Ohio

  • Pennsylvania

  • Rhode Island

4%

12.3%

  • Puerto Rico

0%

14.1%*
*(Default without Snow Losses)

  • Maine

  • Michigan

  • Montana

  • North Dakota

  • New York (All Counties except)

    • Bronx

    • Kings

    • Nassau

    • New York

    • Orange

    • Putnam

    • Queens

    • Richmond

    • Rockland

    • Suffolk

    • Westchester

  • South Dakota

  • Vermont

  • Wisconsin

  • Wyoming

7%

15.1%

  • Minnesota

10%

17.8%

  • Alaska

16%

23.3%

M1 Deliverables: Design Package Documents

Key Deliverables

Details

1) Production Model

Confirmation that the Inputs were set properly by the user:

  1. Production Engine

  2. Weather Dataset

  3. System Losses

  4. etc.

2) Shading Report

Confirmation that Shading was properly modeled:

  1. LiDAR/DSM Overlay

  2. Irradiance Overlay

3) Plan Set

Required pages of the Engineering Plan Set submitted to the building department:

  1. Pertinent site details (Name, Address, etc)

  2. Site Plan (Tilt, Azimuth, Module layout, etc)

  3. One Line/Three Line

  4. Engineering stamps + structural calculations as needed

  5. Equipment is on LightReach AVL

  6. Spec sheets for equipment used on site.

  7. Plans demonstrate that components are installed to manufacturer specs (IE string or branch circuit lengths for inverters, min/max overcurrent amperage limits, etc)

Examples by Platform: Design Package Documents

Planset & Line diagram requirements: As built & Revisions

Disclaimer: IL will require updated plans for both major and minor changes.

As built changes are categorized into two:

  • MAJOR CHANGES

CATEGORY

WHAT CHANGED?

AS BUILT PLANS AT M2

PV Module / Inverter / Battery

  1. Count

  2. Model

  3. Size / Wattage

  4. Manufacturer

REQUIRED

Solar Layout

Modules moved to:

  1. Different roof planes

  2. New roof plane / structure

REQUIRED

  • MINOR CHANGES

CATEGORY

WHAT CHANGED?

AS BUILT PLANS AT M2

Racking

  1. Manufacturer

  2. Model

  3. Orientation

  4. Spacing / Cantilever

NOT REQUIRED

Solar Layout

Module location / orientation changes within the same roof plane

NOT REQUIRED

Electrical

  1. Interconnection Method

  2. BOS components added or removed

  3. Equipment spec sheets

  4. Equipment location change

  5. Conduit path change

NOT REQUIRED

Other

Any other changes not listed above

NOT REQUIRED


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