Solar power has gone from being within the purview of early adopters to become widespread enough that many everyday consumers are now purchasing solar panels for their homes and offices. Creating proposals to help customers get a better idea of how their solar energy system will be laid out and what it can do for them has also advanced a long way from where it once had been. There are many digital tools and software that engineers can use to achieve this. Here are some tips to help you choose the right solar design software for your business.
Use of Satellite Imaging
When using solar design software, you want one that can give you accurate satellite imaging and geographic information. This will aid you in calculating photovoltaic system performance, energy production modeling, and shading analysis. You’ll have an easier time determining how the sun and natural environmental features of a given area will affect a solar power system, depending on how it’s set up. The average weather conditions and time of year can also affect a system, so you want to be able to access data from different points throughout the year to ensure that your designs will hold up no matter what season it is or the types of weather a customer will experience.
Fast and Accurate Simulation Capabilities
An important aspect to consider when choosing solar design software is the performance capabilities and accuracy of its simulation technology. You want it to also be thorough, so every possible factor is considered when designing a solar energy system for your customers. As noted by the solar power experts at siliken.com/, before you start work on the actual installation, you need to know what they expect from the system so you can successfully meet those expectations. They will want information about the costs, energy generation, and power consumption of their system. Being able to gauge this quickly enough to send out a proposal while still maintaining the reliability of accurate information is key, so any software you decide to use must be fast and accurate.
Integration with Other Software
Any solar design software you get should have the ability to integrate with other solar software, such as financial and energy management programs. This allows you to update any changes that affect these other aspects of a project quickly enough that the different departments don’t end up plagued by confusion and give out inaccurate information to customers. Building a solar energy system is a complicated endeavor, so even the slightest error can destroy a project. Make sure you purchase software that can be used in conjunction with others to maintain the integrity of your proposals and subsequent installations.
Frequency of Software Updates
You don’t want to purchase software that is soon rendered obsolete because the developer stopped supporting it. Software that sees more frequent updates will usually have a longer life cycle than those that rarely do so. You always want your programs running the latest technology available, so be sure that when you do decide on one, you keep up with any patches that are released. Solar design technology is constantly seeing improvements to its systems, which means being able to create better and more accurate proposals for your customers.
Dedicated Resource Management
Your choice in solar design software should include a dedicated resource manager to funnel the workflow of the design process through the proper channels. One of the biggest problems affecting solar power system designs is the slow pace of communication and cooperation that can occur due to the time-consuming nature of many aspects within the process. Being able to rapidly advance new and updated data through to where they need to be will cut down on wasted time and resources, directing your information where it needs to go as fast and reliably as possible.
Pricing
Depending on your budget, you may be limited in which solar design software you can choose. There are some decent mid-ranged options that offer most of the main tools necessary for designing solar power systems, but they lack many of the extra features and customization abilities of the higher-end products. There are also free versions of software out there, but these aren’t nearly as dependable as the paid versions. If you’re serious about growing your business, investing in the best solar design software possible is a smart idea, especially when so much about your projects will begin with the design process.
When you’re ready to begin creating a new solar power system for customers, you need to have the right tools. Part of that is your technology and applications. In order to make sure you get the best one for you, follow these tips when choosing your solar design software.