Steps to generate Shade Report

1. Ensure the system you want to generate a shade report is designed in 3D and has raytracing enabled. Otherwise you will NOT be able to generate the shade report.

2. Go to Project > Info

3. Click Generate Document within the Project Files section and select Shade Report (Generic)

4. If you have multiple System Options for that project, you will need to select the system option you want to generate the shade report on.
5. Click on "Generate" to create the report.

Note: Shade Report cannot be generated when facets are included with more than one type of imagery. Each oblique view counts as a separate imagery, and 3D is treated as a top-down imagery.

Terminology

Sun Access:

Sun Access describes the percentage of plane-of-array (POA) insolation incident on a PV module/array surface that is remaining after accounting for shading. Mathematically it can be described by the following equation:

It should be noted that OpenSolar takes into account of all 3 components of irradiance: direct, diffuse and reflected irradiance. Hence, the sun access value may be non-zero even if an object completely blocks out direct irradiance from reaching the PV modules due to contributions from diffuse and reflected irradiance.

Tilt Orientation Factor (TOF):

Tilt Orientation Factor (TOF) is the percentage of unshaded solar insolation at the actual tilt and azimuth of a module/array surface compared to the optimal tilt and azimuth; where the optimal tilt and azimuth is orientation that gives the highest annual generation. Mathematically it can be described by the following equation:

As a rule of thumb the optimal orientation that maximize insolation falling on a PV module is roughly when the tilt is equal to the latitude and facing towards the equator (i.e. azimuth = 0° for southern hemisphere and azimuth = 180° for northern hemisphere). However, in reality the optimal tilt is generally a few degrees less than the latitude.

Total Solar Resource Fraction (TSRF):

Total Solar Resource Fraction (TSRF) provides the ratio of insolation available with shading on a module/array surface, compared to the insolation at optimal module orientation with no shading. Mathematically it can be described by the following equation:

Note that you can also derive TSRF by multiplying Sun Access with TOF.