terrain analysis V3 9 August 2026 · Ground-mounted PV
Terrain Analysis Report
Topography · slope, aspect, drainage and their effect on the layout · 9 Aug 2026
1 · Report summary
Site area84,007 m²
Usable area84,007 m²
Elevation difference (Δh)57.5 m
Mean slope15.8°
Median slope (P50)16.4° (≈ 29.5%)
Steepest cell32.5°
Elevation range 1,247.0 – 1,304.5 m. Data coverage 100.0%. Elevation source: DXF topography · 468×387 source grid · 1.22 m cell · full TIN coverage · nominal ~1.2172 m.
2 · Slope map
Each cell is coloured by ITS OWN local slope, not by the site average. Yellow and red areas are where table foot levels are most stressed and where row spacing must be widened locally.
3 · Slope distribution
Slope range
Cells
Share
Cumulative
0-3°
383
2.8%
2.8%
3-6°
461
3.3%
6.1%
6-9°
1,370
9.9%
16.0%
9-12°
1,847
13.3%
29.3%
12-15°
1,684
12.1%
41.4%
15-20°
4,303
31.0%
72.4%
20-25°
3,084
22.2%
94.6%
25-30°
735
5.3%
99.9%
30°+
10
0.1%
100.0%
4 · Aspect (orientation) analysis
Aspect is the direction a slope faces. In the northern hemisphere, south-facing slopes are advantageous for fixed-tilt systems: for the same shading target the row spacing narrows and land use improves. North-facing slopes, by contrast, force the row spacing wider — which is exactly what the pitch formula accounts for.
Aspect
Cells
Share
N
149
1.1%
NE
153
1.1%
E
1,341
9.7%
SE
3,223
23.2%
S
4,008
28.9%
SW
2,680
19.3%
W
1,596
11.5%
NW
727
5.2%
5 · Contour plan
The contours are generated from the digital elevation model. Closely spaced lines indicate steep ground, widely spaced lines gentle ground. The navy line is the site boundary.
6 · Elevation sections
The sections are taken along north–south and east–west lines through the centre of the site. The vertical scale is exaggerated to suit the elevation range; compare the horizontal lengths when judging gradients.
7 · Drainage and areas above threshold
Area above threshold (steep)49,229 m²
Drainage / hollow cells454 units
Knoll / ridge cells440 units
Area closed to layout0 m²
Drainage and knoll cells are points that form a local hollow or ridge relative to their neighbours. Drainage lines mean surface water accumulation : table feet and cable trenches should be kept clear of them, and culverts planned where necessary. Ridges are critical for wind loading and erosion.
8 · Table pad levelling estimate
Mean pad elevation difference5.25 m
Worst pad12.84 m
Tables requiring levelling265 / 265
Rough volume (±)86,244 m³
THIS IS A PRELIMINARY ESTIMATE. The difference between the highest and lowest level under each table footprint is taken; if the pad were levelled, the cut and fill volume required is estimated as half that difference times the footprint area. In a real project the table feet are usually without levelling driven at different lengths — in which case this volume is close to zero. The table is there to show which tables have the largest variation in foot length.
9 · Data source and accuracy
Topic
Status
Elevation source
DXF topography
Grid resolution
2.5 m · 248×208 cells
Data coverage
100.0%
Contour interval
5.00 m
Slope calculation
Neighbouring-cell gradient (3×3 window)
The digital elevation model is derived from satellite or aerial data; vegetation and structures can introduce local errors. A ground survey is essential before setting out.
solarsimpro Ground-Mounted · canonical shading engine (beam ray tracing + diffuse sky model) · PR as defined in IEC 61724-1 · reference values from PVGIS v5.3 SARAH3. This report is intended for pre-feasibility purposes.
