Designing using Ada Auto Design

OpenSolar 3.0 introduces a brand new tool in your solar toolbelt: the ability to create fast, standardised designs using Ada Auto Design. 

You can fully control what Ada will use in your Auto Designs, from panel and inverter types to BoS components, battery control schemes, and pricing, or, you can let Ada recommend components to use. Learn more about modifying templates here, and learn how to use Ada Chat and Voice here. 

To use Auto Design, there are 4 steps:

1. Open a design
2. Choose high-quality 3D imagery, or draw facets
3. Add Auto Design systems
4. Optional- modify the results

1. Open a design

Once you navigate to the Design tab on a project, you will see a new "Auto Design" button on the top right. Open this new navigation.

2. Choose high-quality 3D imagery, or draw facets

Ada Auto Design will only work instantly on high quality 3D imagery. Choose Google Solar API 3D or Nearmap 3D to use Ada automatically.

If your location only has 2D, or poor quality 3D, you can still use Ada. To do so, you can use manual mode to build your own roof profile. Learn more. 

If you prefer, you can also use 2D mode, in which case you will need to draw your facets. This is just like normal on OpenSolar, and you can use quick roof or manual roof. 

To use a manual roof, click each facet that you want to draw on. Like normal, don't forget to set slope on the left menu, and identify the gutter by right clicking the correct edge, so OpenSolar can accurately calculate azimuth and slope, just like you normally do when designing in 2D. 

If you draw facets, you will also need to add any obstructions to the scene. Ada obstruction detection is only available in 3D at this time. 

3. Add Auto Design systems

Once you've chosen 3D or drawn facets, simply press "+" to add Auto Designs to your project. Ada will create new systems that match the Auto Design template you've created, or that Ada recommended for you. 

These templates can be fully customised in Control-> Design and Hardware. See here on how to modify these.

4. Optional- modify the results

Some panels in the wrong spot, or hard to install? No worries, simply modify the template like you normally would if designing manually. 

Once you've added an Auto Design, all systems will operate like a normal, manual OpenSolar design, and can be modified like normal.

Ada Auto Design will also add "buildable panels" on other facets that are available, but not required, based on the template size. You can add panels here like you normally would.