A Configurator for PV Installation

The demand for small industrial as well as residential rooftop installations is growing worldwide. The planning of such roof projects requires a detailed study based on multiple parameters. Siliken has created a tool which carries out this project in five simple steps, offering all of the necessary materials for installation at the same time. energyBox becomes the most flexible solution in the market, saving time needed for adjusting, managing, and purchasing components.

Siliken has launched a free pioneer web configurator which helps fitters to plan any type of photovoltaic installation on residential rooftops. This program contains as large a variety of parameters as the country in which it will be installed, the type of structure to be used, or the wind and snow force to be taken into account in the region. The online web configurator is part of one of Siliken’s latest projects, the PV energyBox kit. The product’s flexibility and modularity facilitates the design and configuration of installations for any type of roof, without the need for time spent on adjusting, managing, and purchasing components.

The energyBox intends to solve not only the technical problem that is inherent to the design of any PV installation, but also to guide fitters throughout the entire value chain, offering solutions for all non-technical phases, such as supplying components, managing suppliers and complex logistics (storage, stock levels, order picking and forwarding), or customer service.

The location of PV installations on roofs brings a value added to the merely structural function of the building, optimising the use of space and allowing for distributed power generation. Their placing does not affect the activity inside the building in any way and offers operating guarantees for decades with minimum maintenance concerning time, costs, and professional specialisation.

Based on studies carried out by Siliken, as markets mature, they tend to focus on small industrial and residential rooftop installations worldwide due to fact that governments direct the FiT program to this segment, looking for distributed and/or self-sufficient power generation. Therefore, for such great demand energyBox is the simplest and most effective solution.

When configuring a PV installation, it is vital to study all of the parameters involved; structure together with the quality of the used components are the key points here. From the structural viewpoint, it is important for the system to guarantee sufficient static strength to withstand the wind and snow force in the region. Otherwise, the roof would deteriorate, tiles break and the building lose impermeability. For fitters, it is crucial to use components with established quality, as the service life of the entire system must endure several decades and it is them who must attend any issues concerning the components. This can become a puzzle for both the client and the fitter, in addition to economic losses which it may cause.

The energyBox facilites the carrying out of the project thanks to its web configurator, in which all of the previously mentioned variables are entered. It is a free, online configurator owned by Siliken, exclusively destined for its clients, the fitters. The configurator works in five simple steps:

1. Entering calculation data: At this point, you select the geographical data and a type of roof. It allows you to choose the country in which the installation will be carried out, together with other important parameters involved in the study of static load, such as regions with snow and wind, the elevation above sea level, and the type of land.

2. Data on materials: In step 2, you choose the type of tiles to determine the correct type of fixing, the material for beams as well as the roof’s dimensions. The program automatically offers you suitable structural components.

3. Structural data: Next, you select the module and the type of structure. In Siliken’s catalogue, you can choose from references of monocrystalline or polycrystalline modules.

4. Rooftop data: At this point, you enter the number of roof slopes, missing dimensions in order to draw the roof, its inclination, and orientation.

5. Afterwards, a plan of the rooftop is generated, scaling the roof based on the entered measures. You can work on this plan, entering existing obstacles and installation modules. You can either enter the number of modules manually by dragging them over the roof-top, or aks the software to optimise the roof automatically. Then the energyBox calculates the number of modules neccesary for the roof. Once the installation has been configured, the application generates a technical report with the following data: general rooftop parameters, layout, list of materials, calculation procedure, assembly information, etc.

The web configurator facilitates the installation’s design. Siliken has created the web configurator especially for the energyBox, which was produced to help fitters in the entire sales process, from getting supplies to after-sales services, and to be ready to enter the residential sector.

energyBox, a Flexible System

As opposed to the kits currently existing in the market with rigid layout, thanks to the design of energyBox, fitters can adjust PV installations to the specific conditions of a particular roof, allowing them to distribute the modules over the roof as they need. The energyBox is made of groups of 2 or 3 modules, creating packs of 9, 12, 16, 18, 24 or 48 modules with power range from 2 to 12 kWp. The system is scalable and therefore allows covering any rooftop size by connecting several energyBoxes.

energyBox includes all of the necessary components for a residential PV installation, such as modules, structure, inverters as well as electrical components (AC/DC connection boxes, cables, and connectors). All of these elements have been specifically selected to ensure the best performance, which results in a completely optimised system in terms of electricity and structure. Its mechanical resistence is ensured based on the norms of the country in which it will be installed. The energyBox is designed to provide the highest level of performance, guaranteeing quality and efficiency.

In the 2010 Photon Laboratory Study, Siliken module has been acknowledged as the one with the highest electric power production in an installation. The components included in the energyBox match this level of performance and quality, in agreement with the focus on quality maintained by the company.

Siliken, Innovation Experience

Siliken develops solutions, such as energyBox, for the renewable energy sector, especially for the field of solar photovoltaic energy. Thanks to the strong investment in R&D&I, it can detect market needs and offer real and highly efficient solutions. Its activities range from the production of solar-grade silicon, the manufacture of equipment and components to promotion, maintenance and after-sales services of PV installations. In Spain, Siliken has two module production plants: one producing silicon and the other inverters. In other countries, such as Mexico, Canada and Rumania, the company has module production plants; its business offices are located on several continents. Today, Siliken continues its international expansion, strengthening its position as a reference in the world of renewable energy.

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