OpenSolar Release Notes - Mid July 2020

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OpenSolar 3D and System Advisor Model Integration

OpenSolar Studio now has the all new 3D feature that allows Solar Pros to quickly draw panels on high quality 3D imagery, with pitch, azimuth and shading automatically calculated. The new design format incorporates the most up to date System Advisor Model performance calculator for improved and more realistic calculations. Solar Pros can perform automatic shading analysis, view hourly average shading and annual diffuse shading for each panel group, see detailed system losses, handle inverter clipping, select specific optimiser, add racking, select panel tracking modes and several more. The new updates also include sizing messages for voltages and power output for inverters.

Updated Component Database

With the new System Advisor Model integration, OpenSolar now takes full advantage of many more component parameters for better calculations. Modules now include the ability to spec current, technology, bifaciality, etc. Solar Pros can activate optimisers in Control > Design & Hardware > Other Components and select specific ones in Studio that get automatically calculated based on component specifications. 

Front End UI Overhaul

With the new React Admin and Material UI 4.x, pro interaction with OpenSolar is smoother and simpler. Input fields now include more information including units, helper texts, etc. Other changes include button tooltips, updated list view with ability to directly delete items, breadcrumbs for easier navigation through pages and many more. 

Bill and Electricity Usage Changes

• Existing daily electricity profile shaping options for weekend and weekday has been updated. The new electricity profile shapes are now derived from over 13,000 households in the Smart Grid Smart City Trial in Australia, and is likely to be more representative of the typical residential profile.
  
• Existing monthly electricity profile shape has been updated for both Australia and the United Kingdom to be more representative year-round. For Australia, these new monthly profiles are derived from the Smart Grid Smart City Trial dataset, while the Low Carbon London Dataset is used for the United Kingdom.
• Ability to now set Bi-monthly billing frequency in Tariffs (once every two months). Note, the option to set Bi-monthly kWh and bill amounts is not supported yet, instead you can set the kWh using 12 monthly kWh or bill values.
• Ability to configure true-up date and frequency of true-up credits (monthly or yearly true-up) for net energy metering (NEM).
• Ability to set the credit type rolled forward by net energy metering (kWh or $).
• Ability to adjust the value of net energy metering credits rolled forward as a percentage of its full retail rate price.
• Ability to set 8760 hourly demand values (in kW).
• Name Changes 

Other Updates

• Added Swedish and Spanish translations to MyEnergy and Proposal PDF.
• Ensure save dialog prompt in Studio when Nearmap token expires and it asks the user to login again.