Technical Definition of a Shed

[moss-solar]

What is the best technical definition for a Shed in PVsyst? Is it directly analogous to a physical row in the array? My question arises because I have some preliminary technical specs for a PV system that I am trying to model, but I do not know what to input for the number of sheds under the Unlimited sheds field type.

Related to this question, what is the difference between Fixed Tilted Plane and Unlimited sheds? I have read the descriptions for each in the FAQs provided, but I'm still missing something. I think this goes back to my confusion on whether a shed is directly analogous to a physical row or not.

Thank you.

[André Mermoud]

What I name "Shed" or "row" in PVsyst is a physical structure (mechanics) which receives PV modules.

In the latest versions, I prefer now the term of "Table".

In the "orientation" option, which specifies the orientation of the PV planes (for the application of transposition model), the special option "Unlimited sheds" also performs the calculation of the mutual shadings of a set of "sheds" or "rows". This simple calculation uses the hypothesis that they are unlimited in length (i.e. neglects the edge effects).

If you want to define a "realistic" system and take the edge effects ito account, you should use the 3D editor for the evaluation of the mutual shadings. In this case you have to use the normal orientation option "Fixed tilted plane", otherwise the shading effect would be applied twice.

[moss-solar]

Thank you very much for your response. That is very helpful.

As a follow-up question, what is the method for determining a reasonable input for "Nb. of sheds" if I do not yet know the physical lay-out of the solar farm? For a utility scale project, is it the number of physical rows per inverter? Per string? I ask because I have seen simulations for 100+ physical row solar farms that have the number of sheds set to "5". What could be a reason for this?

[André Mermoud]

This is the number of rows of course.

It is specified here as the first row has no mutual shadings. Therefore the generic shading factor has to be multiplied by (N-1)/N.

[design_solar]

I want to key in No. of sheds more than 1000 but why cannot key in more than 1000? Stated in PVsyst the maximum is 2000