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Definitions
Common terms used in Solesca layouts, terrain settings, and energy results.
Projects and designs
| Term | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Portfolio | A collection of projects. |
| Project | A site and its related designs and capacity tests. |
| Design | One layout and its equipment, settings, and results. |
| Field | An area where modules are placed using a shared set of layout settings. |
| Template | Saved settings you can apply to fields or other design elements. |
| Design lock | A way to preserve a design against further editing. Duplicate it to make a new editable version. |
Layout and racking
| Term | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Azimuth | Facing direction, measured clockwise from north: north is 0°, east 90°, south 180°, and west 270°. |
| Tilt | The inclination of a roof or module plane. Check which setting you are editing. |
| Setback | Space kept clear inside a field boundary. |
| Row spacing | The clear gap between adjacent rows. |
| Pitch | The distance between corresponding points on adjacent rows. |
| GCR | Ground coverage ratio, used to describe how densely rows cover the available area. |
| Table or frame | A group of modules mounted together. |
| Alignment point | A reference point for positioning a field’s layout. |
| Alignment line | A reference line used to align rows. |
| Backtracking | Tracker movement that helps reduce shading between rows. |
See Fields and Field inspector for the controls.
Electrical equipment
| Term | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Module | A photovoltaic panel. |
| Bifaciality | A module characteristic describing rear-side performance relative to its front side. Set it on the module record. |
| String | Modules connected in series. |
| MPPT | Maximum power point tracking. An inverter can have multiple MPPT inputs. |
| Inverter group | Fields and strings assigned to a shared set of inverters. |
| DC nameplate | The rated DC capacity of the installed modules. |
| AC nameplate | The rated AC capacity of the inverters. |
| DC/AC ratio | Installed DC capacity relative to AC inverter capacity. |
| POI | Point of interconnection, where the system connects to the grid. |
| BOM | Bill of materials. |
See Modules and inverters and Inverter groups.
Terrain
| Term | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Terrain tracking | Laying out ground-mounted rows to follow the site’s terrain within the selected product limits. |
| Along or axis slope | Slope in the direction of a row. |
| Across or cross slope | Slope across the row. |
| Clearance | The required space between the structure or modules and the ground. |
| Pile reveal | The exposed height of a pile above the ground. |
| Bay gap | Spacing between supports along a row. |
| Terrain product | A saved racking product with slope, clearance, and support settings. |
See Terrain tracking for the available controls and Terrain products for library management.
Energy results
| Term | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Energy | Modeled electricity production over a period, typically in kWh. |
| Specific yield | Energy production relative to installed DC capacity, commonly shown as kWh/kWp. |
| Performance ratio | A measure of system performance relative to the solar resource and installed capacity. |
| Shade losses | The modeled effect of shading on production. |
| Soiling | Reduced production caused by material on module surfaces, such as dust. |
| Albedo | The reflectivity of the ground or surrounding surface. |
| Degradation | Reduction in module output over time. |
| Availability | The portion of time the plant is available to operate. |
| P50–P99 | Energy estimates at specified exceedance probabilities. |
| TMY | Typical meteorological year, a weather dataset used for energy modeling. |
See Model energy, Losses, and Energy data. Values and defaults can depend on equipment, templates, and the selected model, so review the settings shown for your design.
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