HelioScope doesn't have full functionality for Building-Integrated Photovoltaics (BIPV), but you can still design wall-mounted solar arrays with a couple of extra steps.
Steps to Create a Wall-mount Array
- Create a narrow Flush Mount Field Segment that is the length of your wall. It's important to understand that as you increase the tilt the width of the Field Segment will increase. So instead of starting at 89 degrees where the width grows towards infinity, set the tilt to 60 degrees.
Note: if you don't see any modules, try using the following settings for your Field Segment:
- Setback = 0
- Row Spacing = 0
- Frame Size = 1 up x 1 wide
2. View the design in 3D and slowly start to increase the tilt. As you increase the tilt, the width will increase and more modules will fill in. Here's the design in 3D and at an 80-degree tilt:
3. Originally the width was only 6 feet, but it has grown to ~20 feet. As you increase the tilt, you'll need to adjust the size of the field segment to keep it from growing to infinity. You can accomplish this by clicking and dragging the dots at the vertices down to readjust the shape of the Field Segment. At 86 degrees, the height grows to 48 feet:
4. Decrease the size of the field segment so it is much smaller. Here it is again at 86 degrees, but we've adjusted the length of the side to 10 feet:
5. Now, when we increase the tilt all the way to 89 degrees (the maximum value in HelioScope) we get a much more reasonable height)
Designing a Solar Awning on a Wall
Note: Independent Tilt is available on our Pro and Enterprise plans.
You can extend the wall workaround above to model a solar awning, with modules angled out from the wallThe key is to flip the Module Azimuth so the modules angle down and away from the wall instead of up.
Create your wall Field Segment by following Steps 1–5 above.
Select the Field Segment. On the Mechanical tab, set the Racking Type to Fixed Tilt.
Click + Add Independent Tilt and set:
Surface Tilt: 89 degrees (the maximum in HelioScope)
Surface Azimuth: the direction the wall faces. It should be square with the wall edge. You can right-click the grey circle in the middle of the wall edge and choose Set to Top Edge or Set to Bottom Edge.
Set the Module Azimuth to the opposite direction of the Surface Azimuth (180 degrees different):
Module Azimuth = Surface Azimuth + 180 (if the result is 360 or more, subtract 360)
| Wall faces | Surface Azimuth | Module Azimuth |
|---|---|---|
| South | 180° | 0° |
| West | 270° | 90° |
| North | 0° | 180° |
| East | 90° | 270° |
Note: If the Module Azimuth isn't exactly 180 degrees from the Surface Azimuth, the modules won't line up square with the wall.
5. Set the Module Tilt to the pitch you want for the awning. With Independent Tilt, Module Tilt is measured relative to the Surface Tilt. View the design in 3D to check that the modules angle out and down from the wall like an awning, not up and away from it.