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      Updates January 2023

      Overhead line customization, HIT modules

      pvDesign - backend v9.8.0, frontend v4.8.3

      In the first month of 2023 we released a new feature for the overhead line calculation, which is the possibility of editing the main characteristics of the OHL. This release can greatly help in improving the quality of the design and adapting it to local requirements.
      Another important feature is the possibility of uploading and using HIT modules in pvDesign. This technology is on the rise, and its market share is expected to increase in the coming years.
      Finally, we addressed a long standing request by many users, the possibility of editing the names of projects and simulations.

      New features

      The following new features were released in January:
      • Overhead line customization: Manually modify many of the characteristics of the overhead line. Some of the new inputs are the phase conductor selection table, the circuits arrangement (number of circuits and number of conductors per phase), or the tower shape selection. The changes will be reflected in the overhead line documentation, such as the design report or the layout. Additionally, the behavior of the maximum OHL voltage drop input has changed. Now, when the OHL path is defined, the input will be an upper limit for the calculation model which cannot be exceeded.
      • HIT modules in pvDesign: It is now possible to use HIT (hetero-junction with intrinsic thin-layer) PV modules in pvDesign. To do so, upload the module PAN file in the Equipment page.
      • Define non-default power stations: Further customize the power stations used in the layout by manually selecting the number of inverters a non-default power station can have. Non-default power stations are smaller than the main power station. For example, if the default power station has 4 inverters, non-default power stations can have 3, 2 or 1 inverters. With this new feature, it would now be possible to disable the non-default power stations of 3 and 1 inverters.
      • Edit project and simulation names: These names can now be edited directly in the interface. Please note that changing the project name won't change the documents which have been generated in the past for existing simulations.
      • Redesigned login page: The style of the elements used in the login pages has been changed to match the elements of the pvDesign interface. Additionally, the main page was changed fit the full screen, and to announce the RatedPower PULSE event.

      Bug fixes and improvements

      These bug fixes and improvements were released in January:

      • Fixed a bug which caused the button to download the BESS MV-LV SLD document to appear even if there was no BESS.
      • Fixed a bug which caused the overhead line document download buttons not to appear in some cases.
      • Fixed a bug which caused the MV lines not to be properly sorted in the documents.
      • Fixed an error which occurred when download an inverter OND file.
      • Fixed a precision issue which produced roads with overlapping points.
      • Fixed a bug in the generation of BESS documents which caused filenames to be wrong.
      • Fixed a bug which caused the terrain slopes document not to be generated.
      • Fixed multiple bugs in the low voltage lines algorithm which caused simulation failures.
      • It is now possible to define the maximum admissible current in MV cables.
      • Fixed a bug which could cause power stations to overlap each other.
      • Improved the algorithm which routes user defined shortcuts to enhance connectivity with other roads.
      • Removes unnecessary intersections from the roads grid.
      • We improved the terrain XYZ document so that it better represents the earthworks platforms. Now the same mesh as in the Layout 3D document is used.
      • Fixed an issue in the grouping algorithm which caused the last group in a layout to have an uncorrected shape.
      • Fixed a bug which caused simulation failures when generating the Layout 3D.
      • Improved the performance of the Groups algorithm, reducing simulation time significantly.
      • Changed the way in which MV cables connect from perimeter power stations to the trenches so that they don't cross structures.
      • Added missing cable sizes to CAPEX templates.
      • Corrected some texts in the documents in German.
      • Fixed a bug which caused simulation failures when using earthworks.
      • Fixed a bug which occurred in design process when a linked row tracker was selected.
      • Added new popups for earthworks platforms in the design process map.
      • Improved the download documentation button.
      • Increased the maximum width of the power station.
      • Show of the earth wires of the overhead voltage line in a table.
      • Show the phase conductors of the overhead voltage line in a table.
      • Improved the substation warning notifications.
      • Fixed an issue which caused the all documents zip to download twice.
      • Fixed an issue which caused the topography file upload to fail for big CSV files.
      • Fixed typos in the interface.
      • Fixed the layout of the structure details modal.
      • Improved error handling on many pages.
      • Redesigned the pages to set up MFA.