Extensively tested in practice
“On the one hand, the SolarPlanner is intended to help select the best system configuration and, on the other hand, to standardise the planning process,” says Joachim Goldbeck, managing director of GOLDBECK SOLAR. This is because individual circumstances, rapid changes on the component side and differentiated customer wishes lead to lengthy iteration loops and decisions based on insufficient information. Here, an integrated planning tool can be the ideal basis on which to build the planning of the system.
The SolarPlanner was developed in collaboration between GOLDBECK SOLAR and the Fraunhofer ITWM. “During the development period, we tested the SolarPlanner together with the Fraunhofer ITWM on many real solar plants. This allowed us to quickly see what made sense and what didn’t,” explains Joachim Goldbeck.
Smart tool for well-founded planning
The result is a smart planning tool for optimal solar plants, with which thousands of different technical configurations can be compared commercially and technically within a few minutes. The park layout is automatically generated from basic commercial information and technical variants, the respective manufacturing and operating costs are simulated and key economic figures are determined and graphically prepared.
Subsequently, the customer can weigh parameters of the configurations against each other in a discussion with the consultant and make the selection of the best variant based on the available information.
For this purpose, SolarPlanner combines information on several technical and economic variants in a database. Over these, the software runs a series of simulations of the site using a specially developed model, creating detailed CAD drawings and clearly showing the balance of parameters to be evaluated.
“With SolarPlanner you can easily perform design comparisons with different components, orientations, economic and technical parameters, calculate direct parameters such as yield and costs as well as more complex parameters such as IRR (internal rate of return) or LCOE (levelised cost of electricity),” adds Joachim Goldbeck. “In addition, the tool compares hundreds of variants with each other to find the optimal layout according to certain parameters.”
Among other things, this allows SolarPlanner to show the tension between different parameters and offers an opportunity for out-of-the-box solutions in direct comparison.
Product launch for Customers at Intersolar
“The SolarPlanner revolutionises the planning process of solar plants,” is Joachim Goldbeck’s summary. “Through the simulations, we know which parameters are best suited for which location under which conditions and can go into the detailed planning accordingly. When building an efficient and high-quality solar installation, this is an enormous advantage.”
GOLDBECK SOLAR will be presenting its new planning tool for the first time at Intersolar in Munich from 11 to 13 May 2022. Interested parties can find out more in advance at SolarPlanner.
