Design Simulation Limit
The maximum system size we support for a design in HelioScope varies for each plan:
- Basic Plan: Designs up to 1.25 MW (DC)
- Pro Plan: Designs up to 5 MW (DC)
- Enterprise Plan: Designs up to 30 MW (DC)
It's important to note that HelioScope models the performance of every single module for every hour of the day, while traditional modeling software only simulates a single module or inverter and multiplies up to the total system size. As a result, a small design in HelioScope multiplied up to 30 MW still has significantly more granularity than traditional modeling software.
While design size is one limit, we also recommend keeping the design as simple as possible in terms of the number of design elements (Field Segments, Keepouts, and trees). As each of these design elements is simulated separately, too many design elements can sometimes cause issues with rendering design images or completing simulations. For this reason, we recommend limiting the number of design elements to only those that will impact the simulated output.
Pushing the Limits
In some cases, HelioScope users will try to push the limits of the software and design larger than the supported size. This is technically possible on the Basic and Pro plans. However, designs exceeding the above mentioned limits can run into difficulties such as slow simulation speed, CAD exports failing, layout images not rendering, etc. Unless designing very simple arrays, it is best to break designs down into easily manageable blocks to retain HelioScope's full functionality.