Permit Package Walkthrough

Preconditions

• Be in Site Definition mode. The Site button in the lower left corner of the workspace will be underlined when in Site Definition mode.

What is a Roof Outline and why is it important?

Roof Outlines encompass the whole building and all the roof faces that make up the building. This also might be called the “gutter line” or “building footprint”. This is used to calculate the Least Horizontal Dimension of the building, which is critical to produce a complete permit package.

Tracing Roof Outlines

First, select the Roof Outline Tool from the toolbar on the left.

Next, click on the canvas and mark each corner of the roof outline or put another way- trace the entire building. Finish tracing by clicking on the initial point.

Tying the Trace To A Building

After the roof outline is traced, we’ll need to specify what building this outline is associated with. We will either

• Create a new building

• Designate that the outline is the same building as a previously specified building

• Progress automatically past this step because the outline encompasses all other previously drawn roofs. In this case, Lyra can infer that the outline is the same building as the previously drawn roofs.

If creating a new building, specify:

• Presence of a sprinkler system

• The ceiling height – the ceiling height of any story will do. This, with the foundation height, is used in conjunction with the roof story designation to determine the height of roof tracings.

• The foundation height – this is used in conjunction with the ceiling height and story specification to determine the height of roof tracings.

• The use and occupancy classification

Editing Building Names

Building names can be edited from their originally specified name by choosing the Select Tool then look to the properties panel which will now show the previously drawn buildings and roofs. Double click on any name to edit it.

Accounting for Imagery Skew & Non-Orthographic Imagery

Occasionally Google Maps aerial imagery isn’t perfectly orthographic so there is a skew to it. Below is an example of orthographic imagery and this is how most aerial imagery from Google Maps is. When imagery is more like the second example, perspective, we need to adjust our tracing as if it was orthographic.

Lets use a real world example, below is a home that does not have orthographic imagery (in this case, the building has a small amount of orthographic skew because we can see the eastern side of the building- if it wasn’t skewed, we would only see the top-down view). If we were installing solar on the center home then here’s how we’d compensate for the non-orthographic imagery.

To help offset the skew, we’ll begin tracing the Roof Outline by starting with one of the more ‘open’ corners of the building. Ideally a corner that shows where the roof begins (in this case, the eastern corners are better suited). If we were to select the western side of the home in this example we cannot tell how much the skew is shifting the roof edge to the west, whereas on the eastern side we can see where the transition from wall to roof occurs.

Continue tracing the Roof Outline to the best of your ability and use Smart Guides to make the process easier. When we get to the side with the most skew (the eastern side in this example) we’ll use the Parallel Lines Smart Guide to match tracing from a non-skewed area. You’ll notice the the ridge in this photo does not match what we previously traced. This is the correct way to account for the skew.

When the time comes to trace an individual roof face we’ll use the Roof Outline trace we just completed as our “anchor.” Notice that again in the example below the ridge shown in the imagery varies slightly from our tracing in Lyra. If we were to match the aerial imagery it would be skewed and inaccurate, just as the imagery is but by matching it to the Roof Outline trace we’ve accounted for and negated the skew.

Next Steps

Continue on to trace roof faces, add obstructions, or define other aspects of the site before moving on to System Design such as Adding Site Equipment, Complete Weather Data, and Complete Site Info.

Preconditions

• The Array Layout step of System Design has been completed.

• • Roof specified with either strategy:

    • Traced roof face(s) and roof outline

    • 3D roof model imported

  • Site Equipment added

  • Weather Data completed

  • Site Info specified

    Permit-ready design Site information required:

It’s recommended that the majority of array placement be completed during the Array Layout step. The Layout Design step allows for module placement to be fine tuned or altered.

Add Modules

During the Array Layout step modules were added until either the kWh goal was met or there’s no remaining empty module spaces. To add more modules in empty module spaces select the Add Module Tool from the toolbar.

Click on an empty module outline to place a single module in that space. To place multiple panels at once drag across multiple open spaces.

Remove Modules

We can remove modules from filled in spaces but retain their empty spaces for later use by using the Delete module tool. To use it, select the Delete Module Tool from the toolbar.

Click on any module already placed to remove it.

Remove Module Positions

Module spaces may need to be removed to make way for other modules, perhaps in another orientation. To do this, select the Remove Module Position Tool from the toolbar. Click once to remove a module and it’s position or a module position without a module.

Note: once a space is deleted, it cannot be replaced. Return to the Array Placement stage and regenerate the array layout to reset the number of module positions on the roof face.

Move Modules

Individual modules can be moved and customized into any open space on a drawn roof face. Using the Select Tool, click once on the module to select it then click a second time and drag the module to the desired space.

Multiple modules can be moved together by using the Select Tool and Shift key on your keyboard. While holding Shift click on the modules you wish to move. After they’re selected, click and drag the modules to the desired space.

Note: the final placement must be green. If it is red the module cannot be placed in its current position and will be reverted back to its starting place.

Move Module Positions

Empty individual module spaces can also be moved, like filled module spaces, with the Select Tool. Click once on the module space to select it then click a second time and drag the rectangle to the desired space.

Note: the final placement must be green. If it is red the module cannot be placed in its current position and will be reverted back to its starting place.

Change Module Orientation

Modules can be rotated 90 degrees easily with the Change Orientation Tool from the toolbar.

Click on a module to rotate it 90 degrees.

Next Steps

After adding your modules and finalizing their placement, move onto Electrical Design where we’ll select our inverter(s), optimizer(s) and, stringing configuration.

Preconditions

• The Layout Design step of the System Design has been completed

• Permit-ready design Site information required:

  • Roof specified with either strategy:

    • Traced roof face(s) and roof outline

    • 3D roof model imported

  • Site Equipment added

  • Weather Data completed

  • Site Info specified

Select Inverter & Optimizer

Using the open field, type in the inverter and select it from the drop down list. When this is done the DC-AC Ratio Status will update. If an optimizer is applicable the option will appear beneath the inverter field. The smallest optimizer compatible will be selected automatically but any compatible optimizers can be selected. If an optimizer is greyed out then it is incompatible with this design.

Summary Panel Overview

A new field will appear to the left of the Properties Panel called the Summary Panel. The Summary panel will appear slightly differently depending on the type of system being designed (more on that below), but it will always contain the following basic information:

• AC Current output

• AC Power output

• Inverter(s)

• Stringing configuration

AC Modules

Microinverters

String Inverters with Optimizers

String Inverters with Internal MPPTs

Stringing modules

First, select the Stringing Tool from the toolbar.

Next, click on a module to begin a string. Continue clicking on modules to add them to string, or click and drag across the modules. A string will have two dots, the smaller of the two is the beginning and the larger dot is the open end. Double click on the final module in the string to end the string.

Repeat this process to complete the stringing configuration.

Module Colors and String States

As modules are strung, the color of the modules will denote the string state. View Tips & References panel to see what each color indicates:

Assigning Multiple Strings to MPPTs

After beginning a string, a prompt will appear asking to select MPPT channel. When that’s completed, drag the open string to cover the desired modules. Double click to close or finish the string.

Adding a Second Inverter

To add a second inverter use this link while specifying the inverter.

Deleting Strings

Strings can be deleted by using the Stringing Tool

Then clicking on either of the white dots on the string. Now that the string is selected, use the delete key and confirm to delete it. Now the modules can be strung differently.

What’s Next?

After completing the Electrical Design steps we’ll move onto the Electrical BOS where we’ll specify the wiring strategy, interconnection method, array equipment locations and review circuits.