Shade Measurement Topics

• Site analysis considerations

– Impacts of shading
– Tilt/Orientation/Weather
– Terminology
• Using the SunEye
– Tricks and shortcuts
– Common problems and solutions
– State rebate requirements
• Resources, Questions and Answers
Shading and Site analysis for solar
energy systems
 PV System Life Cycle

Preliminary Preliminary
Site survey Proposal Contract
assessment design

Installation
Final design Installation Checkout
planning

Performance
Startup Verification
Maintenance Service
San Diego insolation
 Solar Resource Terms
• Insolation. Incident Solar Radiation, kWh/m2
• Solar Access. Insolation compared to no shading, in field of
view of the panel.
• Tilt and Orientation Factor (TOF). TOF is the solar insolation
at the actual tilt and orientation divided by the insolation at
the optimum tilt and orientation, expressed in percent.
• Total Solar Resource Fraction (TSRF). TSRF is the ratio of
insolation available accounting for both shading and TOF,
compared to the total insolation available at a given location
at the optimum tilt and orientation and with no shading.
TSRF is also expressed in percent, according to the following
equation: TSRF = Solar Access * TOF.
 Solar Resource Terms

Optimum Annual
Insolation
TOF

Solar Access Loss due to sub-

optimal tilt/azimuth

Loss due to
shading

TSRF
 Solar Resource Example

Optimum Annual
Insolation
TOF

Solar Loss due to sub-

optimal tilt/azimuth
Access
Loss due to
shading

Good Solar Access TSRF

means little shade,
but not necessarily
the best solar
production.
 Shading: a little bit goes a long way

100
Actual performance
depends on:
% Production • Modules ―bypass‖
50 Best case • Panel configuration
Real world? • #strings affected

50 100
% Shading
Shading: a little bit goes a long way

100%
73%

Business Card
covering half
of one cell
 Shade mitigation strategies

• Optimize Shade-Free production

– Avoid shade whenever possible
– Find the best location for the desired season/time-of-day
• Tree removal
– Reduce shade
– Minimize debris
• For PV systems
– Use best string configuration and placement
– Select best panel/inverter type
Shade mitigation example
 Shade Avoidance Example
Ridge
Layout

Tree

East
string
West
string
Chim-
ney

~South
Relocated
Panels
 Solar Energy Quiz
What’s wrong with this picture?

• Panel separation should be

2-4 times height
• Complex mounting, provides
small benefit
Obstruction Distance, Height, Elevation

H/D = TAN ( r)

r= TAN-1( (H/D)
• D/H as high as possible
• D/H > 2 is California Minimal Shading ~26 degrees
• D/H > 3+ is ―shade free 9-3‖
 Example sun path

Max
access

Reduced
access

Panel
Sun
Path
No access
Sun Path example
Hemisphere view (Skyline)
 Using the Solmetric SunEyeTM

Copyright Solmetric
Corporation, 2008
 Steps for measuring solar access
Bubble Level
Compass

1. Point south*
2. Hold Level
3. Press the button

* Point south in the northern hemisphere; point north

in the southern hemisphere.
 Live Measurement example

• ―Sky Simulator‖ facilitates indoor use (demos and training)

• Small tree toward the east; larger tree toward the west

Example azimuth=150º; tilt=30º

 SunEye position
Always: Level, toward magnetic South
 SunEye Example

Roof
line
 SunEye Example

Roof
line
 Navigation

• Use the touchscreen

– Designed to work with finger, no need for stylus
– Fingernail works best
• Use the 5-way nav button to:
– bring up menu
– navigate menu
– snap skylines
– delete or recapture skylines
 Text Entry

• select alphabetical or QWERTY

keyboard
• To clear text or move cursor,
click in the text box area
• SunEye predicts words being
typed, click on word to select
 Create a Session

1. > Session > new…

2. Enter Session Name, and note
(optional)
3. Enter location
1. Select nearest major city
2. …or, manually enter Latitude and
Longitude
3. …or, use SunEye GPS to obtain
exact geographical coordinates
 Azimuth and Compass Heading

• Enter panel or roof azimuth (ie compass

heading) as magnetic heading or true
heading
– Azimuth displayed in sunpath screen is always
true heading
– Click on underlined tilt or azimuth to change
• Always orient the suneye toward magnetic
south regardless of panel azimuth or roof
orientation
– The SunEye automatically accounts for
magnetic declination
 Skyline View
Skyline Note
(optional)

Month and
time of day
labels

Annual sun paths

superimposed on
Skyline

Solar Access Tilt and Azimuth

summary
 Monthly View

• View the solar access as

monthly, seasonal, or
annual data
• Display average solar
access for multiple
skyline readings
 TOF/TSRF display

• Solar Resources
• TMY3 weather models
• Tilt-Orientation-Factor
%, compared to optimum
• Total Solar Resource
Fraction, %,
• TSRF = TOF times solar
access.
 ―Obstruction Elevation‖ View
• Obstruction Elevation Angle vs. Azimuth
• Max (or average) elevation in azimuth
windows
 Editing Open Sky and Obstructions

• Correct automatic open

sky/obstruction detection
• Simulates obstruction removal such
as trimming trees
• Click paintbush icon a second time
to cycle paintbrush between large
(two squares in icon) and small (one
square in icon)

• Hold brush by outer square so brush

is viewable while painitng
• Zoom out and select large brush to
cover larger areas faster
• Zoom in and select small brush to
do detailed work
• Pan in the image by selcting the
hand icon and clicking and dragging
in the image—fingernail works best
See the effect of new construction by filling
in between storey poles
Storey poles Fill in where future
building will be

See changes in
Solar Access
 Battery

• View battery level:

– > > about Solmetric SunEye…
• Store SunEye attached to AC power
– If not plugged into AC power, battery will discharge over about a
week even when SunEye is left off
• SunEye will charge via USB, however the computer must
be on for charging to occur
• Use optional car charger for charging in field
 Hot Roofs

• Operating temperature is 32 F to 104 F

• Storage temperature is -4 F to 140 F
• The SunEye left for half an hour in the sun
can easily reach 130 F
• Bubble in bubble level shrinks as
temperature increases

If the bubble is really small, it means your SunEye is overheating.

Put it in the shade until the bubble returns to normal.
 SunEye GPS Add-On

• Bluetooth GPS unit works

with existing and new
SunEye units
• Detects latitude/longitude
for session location and
automatic sunpath
generation
• Records location of each
skyline data set collected
SunEye GPS output to Google Earth™
 Data transfer to computer via USB

• SunEye stores more than

100 Skylines in memory
• Transfer data to PC for
further analysis
• View and edit data in same
way as on hand-held
• Create reports and export
files to design tools
 Solar Access and Shade Report
Client
Information

• All session data is combined

into a single hypertext
document
• Converts to MS-Word™
• View, Email, or print

Installer business
information/logo
 Access raw data files

Month
Day Jan Feb Mar
1 54.17 54.99 67.64
• Import data files into design software 2
3
54.17
54.17
54.99
54.99
67.64
67.64
– Excel spread sheet, OnGrid, 4
5
54.17
56.63
54.99
54.66
67.64
67.77
PVOptimize, PV*SOL, T*SOL, PVSyst, 6 56.63 54.66 67.77
QuickQuotes, CPF Tools 7 56.63 54.66 67.77
8 56.63 54.66 67.77
 Updated Software and Accessories

• New software updates

available from:
www.solmetric.com
– Includes handheld and PC
updates
– Set for auto-update

• Available accessories
– GPS
– Car charger
– Hard-shell carrying case
 SunEye tips

Tips:
• Use neck strap
• Snap Skylines from multiple
locations
• Include worst case (eg. most
south, lowest)
• Use proper safety procedures

Photo courtesy of Matt Stone, SPG Solar

 Help

• User’s Guide accessible via desktop software

– Help>Solmetric SunEye User’s Guide…
• Knowledge base at:
– http://www.solmetric.com/knowledgebase.html
• Technical Support
– 1-877-263-5026, opt 2
– support@solmetric.com

Dec-Jan issue:
“Solar Site Evaluation”
www.solarprofessional.com
 Questions?

Solmetric Corporation
www.solmetric.com
1-877-263-5026