6. Electrical Layout

The Electrical tab is where you define and place all components related to your project’s electrical system. This includes placing inverters and batteries, creating electrical sections, stringing trackers, and connecting your equipment to the point of interconnection (POI). The following workflow will guide you through configuring your system for accurate string lengths, equipment layout, and bill of materials generation.

Placing Electrical Equipment

Inverters

1. Select an inverter from the database provided.

   • If the desired inverter is not listed, you can either:

     • Add the inverter locally using the DATABASE button in the PVCAD ribbon, or

     • Contact support at support@pvcomplete.com to request addition to the database.

2. Choose between String Inverter or Central Inverter types.

3. Click Insert, then place the inverter in model space by clicking the desired location.

Batteries

1. Choose a battery Manufacturer and Battery Type.

2. Click Insert, then click in the model space to place the battery.

   • If your battery is not available, contact support@pvcomplete.com.

Designing Electrical Sections and Stringing

Once your equipment is placed, proceed with setting up electrical sections by clicking Design Electrical Section. This will launch a setup window with the following steps:

1. Insert POI (Point of Interconnection)

   • Enter the Height and Width of your control room.

   • Specify the location for your POI in the model space.

2. Assign Structures

   • Use Add Section or Remove Section to manually group trackers into electrical sections.

   • Alternatively, click Auto Assign Structures and enter the number of electrical sections you want. PVCAD will automatically assign trackers accordingly.

3. Unassign Structures

   • If needed, unassign trackers from electrical sections using the Unassign buttons to redesign or reconfigure your setup.

4. Insert Inverters

   • Use Auto Insert Inverters to let PVCAD assign inverter groups automatically.

   • Or, use Create Inverter Group to manually assign specific trackers to each inverter.

5. Insert String Conductors

   • Select an electrical section and click Insert String Conductors to complete stringing from trackers to the inverter.

6. Insert Connections to POI

   • After stringing each section, click Insert Connections to POI to connect all inverters to the designated POI.

Finalizing Electrical Design

After all electrical sections and connections have been defined:

• Click Export BOM in the PVCAD Mega Ribbon to generate a Bill of Materials (BOM) that includes total string lengths, wire sizing, and equipment counts.

• This BOM can be used for procurement and documentation purposes.