New MV-LV Single Line Diagram document, install the maximum peak power, numerous bug fixes
pvDesign - backend v5.0.87, frontend v1.1.5
In the first release after the layout calculation engine overhaul, we focused on fixing the bugs which came up during the month. However, we also released two big new features which we hope you will find useful.
New Features
This release includes some very significant new features:
- New MV-LV Single Line Diagram document: This new document completes the representation of the electrical system produced by pvDesign. It is now possible to understand and review the configuration of the electrical system from the lowest level (string cables) up to the substation, in a single document.
- Install the maximum peak power: When this option is selected, pvDesign will not leave any unused structures in the PV plant, even if this means straying away from the desired DC/AC ratio. This will allow for better compliance with the power requirements when using pvDesign.
- Earthworks user experience improvement: Following user feedback received after the initial release of the earthworks feature, we changed the meaning of the values set by the user. Before, the values were the start of the earthworks range ("Starting at"), now the value is the end of the range ("Up to"). This means that the structure installation limit remains the same after choosing to perform earthworks.
- Power stations in the interconnection facility SLDs: It is now possible to see which power stations are connected to which transformer bays in the substation SLDs.
Bug fixes and improvements
This release includes a huge number of bug fixes, find below a list of the more relevant changes:
- Fixed an issue which caused the DC BUS cables to be positioned incorrectly. Now the string cables go to the edge of the structure, and from that position the DC BUS collects all the string cables and goes to the inverter.
- Improved the project sheet document. Now the number of strings and structures are shown in the quantities section. Removed the electrical configuration picture. The print area now matches the content.
- Added a warning when the user selects a value for the number of modules per string which is outside the recommended range
- Disallow the creation of design when illegal characters are used in the name
- The create a project dialog closes when using the enter key
- Show the number of selected designs when comparing designs
- Changed the coordinate precision configuration to avoid a situation which caused simulations to fail.
- Allow access points to be placed inside RAs and STs.
- Remove useless roads placed in empty areas
- Fixed many bugs which caused simulations to fail due to road placement and power station placement
- Fixed an issue which caused the simulation to fail when using custom topography
- Changed how roads around a RA are placed so they don't become unconnected
- Added the volume of earthworks (fill and cut) to the design report
- Improved the placement of power stations in exterior roads
- Fixed and issue which caused the structures to be stretched in the layout
- Fixed a bug which caused some simulations to fail when using the maximum peak power option
- Fixed a bug which caused some simulations with 90 degrees rotation to fail
- Improved the selection of a path for positioning a power station when only perimeter roads are available
- Fixed an issue which caused sites with complex areas to be imported incorrectly
- Added a missing loss to the energy results XLSX document.
- Improved the earthworks platform boundary calculation, to fix a simulation error.
- Added a white rectangle behind the engineering box in the PDF documents, which should prevent drawings from the model space from appearing behind the box.
- Changed the minimum value for the slopes filters to zero.