Electrical connection

The main function of "Electrical connection" is to complete the electrical connection from the string to combiner/inverter and to transformer.

Sequence of Cable Path and electrical connection

Users can first define cable paths and then divide strings to L1/L2 devices. Conversely, it is also possible.

Attention: If divide strings first, users must click "Relocate All" to make the combine device close to the cable trench after the cable route is drawn.

Users can also click on the "L1 devices" button, left click to select any power block, right-click to select "Relocate all L1/L2 devices".

Locate L1 devices

Location type: "No turn-back", "Shortest PV cable", and "Economic comparison".

Non turn-back and Shortest PV cable

"No turn-back" means that the cable path from strings to combiners to transformers does not turn back.

"Shortest PV cable" means the sum lengths of the PV cables from each string to the combiner is the shortest.

If a path has been drawn, priority will be given to ensuring that the combine device is placed near the path.

There are two placement locations for the Combine device:

The height of the combine device above ground refers to the distance from the center point of the combine device to the ground. The size of the combine device can be changed in the User settings.

Distance threshold: When the distance between the array and the cable path is less than this value, the array is judged to be adjacent to the cable path, and a combiner device can be placed below the array.

Economic Comparison and Selection

Compare the NPV for each position and select the best one.

NPV = NPV(yield) -NPV(cable cost)

Defining Cable Paths

The defined cable path must be a tree like structure with a unique endpoint: transformer.

Manual Drawing

Step 1 :Start drawing from the transformer

Step 2 :Pick points from the existing transformer path and continue drawing.

Step 3 :Ensure that each array can be horizontally connected to a suitable cable path (the arrow in the figure below does not meet the requirements)

The path must at least exceed the center of the short side of the array to ensure that the array can project onto the cable path.

Step 4 :The cable path should be close to the intended connected array, and the distance from the center point of the array should not exceed (0.5 times the length of the array+6 meters)

After defining the cable path, the software will automatically detect whether the array is close to the cable path.

When drawing cable paths, the TABLE key can be used to switch whether to capture orthogonality.

Importing from Layers

The cable path drawn in CAD requires:

The starting point of the cable path for each power block is located at the center of the transformer, forming a tree like structure.

Can draw the paths of all power blocks at once.

The layer of "Origin coordinates" needs to be retained when import contour lines.

Import the above cad File, refer to "3.1.1".

After the import is completed, if the starting point of the path of the power block does not connect with the transformer, it should be moved using SU's moving tool to make it connected.

Enter the cable drawing tool, select any power block, press F2 key, and select the correct cable path layer to complete the import.

Edit Cable Path

During the process of drawing cable paths, the right-click menu can switch to editing mode.

During the process of editing cable paths, the right-click menu can switch back to drawing mode.

In the Edit/Draw Status, you can "Check the unconnected Cable route", "Auto connect the Cable route of This block/All blocks", "Clear this block/All blocks not connected to Transformer", "Clear this block/All blocks" and "Show cable route of other blocks" in the right-click menu.

Automatic wiring

Wiring All: automatic wire all power blocks.

Wiring selected: Select the power blocks to be divided with the left mouse button, or use Ctrl + left mouse button to select multiple power blocks, and then click "Wiring selected" again. The following power block list dialog box will pop up:

If the electrical connection of the power block includes L2 devices, a dialog box will pop up as shown in the following figure. 

Click on the "Calculate" button corresponding to any power block to calculate the inputs.

Calculation type: Users can choose the appropriate "calculation method" based on specific project requirements.

Auto. equalization: the software will automatically adjust to ensure that the qty. of strings connected to each combine device is balanced, thereby avoiding any combine device from having too few strings connected.

After completing the above settings, the software will pop up a dialog box.

Manual wiring/manual adjustment

Click “L1 devices” or “L2 devices” to start manual wiring or adjustment.

L1 devices

Click the "L1 devices" button, and the software will pop up the following interface:

Auto. equalization: Allocate strings to L1 devices evenly.

The "exclusion method" includes 8 types: top (right), top (left), bottom (right), bottom (left), left (top), left (bottom), right (top), and right (bottom).

Users can use the left mouse button to select the power block or click on the tag in the legend at the top left of the screen.

Mode 1 : Continuous division mode

Click “L1 devices”, the software defaults to normal mode, right click to enter continuous mode. If the number of selected strings exceeds the set value of "planned inputs", the software will automatically remove the strings according to the exclusion type selected in the previous step to ensure that the division result meets the set value.

When the selected qty. of strings can create multiple L1 combine areas, multiple L1 combine areas will be created at once, and the results will be displayed in different colors.

During the continuous division process, the lower left corner and left legend of the SketchUp interface will display the related operation prompts.

When clicking the right mouse button, a menu will appear.

Mode 2 : Normal mode

After left click to select or box select some arrays, right-click and select menu items such as creating a new device, adding to an existing device, or removing from the device (but still belonging to the power block) as needed. If the qty. of selected strings exceeds the set value, the software will automatically remove the strings according to the exclusion type selected in the previous step.

During the division, the legend in the upper left corner of the interface will display the division status in real time. As shown in the following figure:

L2 devices

Click on 'L2 devices' and enter 'Maximum inputs' and 'Planned inputs' in the pop-up box.

Use the left mouse button to select or box select a certain qty. of L1 devices, then right-click. In the pop-up menu, select related operations. 

Clear all divide results

Clicking on 'Clear All' in the interface to Clear all electrical connection results.