The area of a site tells you nothing about how many megawatts will fit on it. Once you remove slopes above the threshold, north-facing surfaces, valleys where water collects and the perimeter setbacks, what is left is usually smaller than expected. SolarSimPro analyses the site from a digital elevation model and builds the layout on top of that analysis.
The site is divided into a grid; the slope of each cell is computed in degrees and classified (0–2°, 2–5°, 5–8° … 30°+). The area and percentage distribution of each slope class is tabulated.
The direction each surface faces is shown in eight classes. South-facing surfaces mean gain and north-facing ones mean loss; the distinction feeds directly into the layout decision.
The north–south component of the slope alone. East–west slope has little effect on module layout; this component is the decisive one.
Minor and major contours are generated with elevation labels and appear as separate layers both on screen and in the setting-out DXF.
Areas above the slope threshold you set are marked. In the layout you can either skip these areas or split the table there.
Flow-accumulation lines and ridge zones are produced as separate masks — the starting point for drainage and cut-and-fill planning.
Site work begins with the boundary: import it from KML/KMZ, DXF or CSV, or draw it directly on the map. The projected coordinate system is selected automatically from the location. The buildable area is found by offsetting inwards by the setback you specify; the setback ring is kept as its own layer and written into the setting-out plan together with the coordinate schedule.
Adjacent areas outside the main boundary but included in the project can also be defined; when several areas are drawn, the outer boundary is computed as their union.
Elevation data is taken from an open digital elevation model and fitted to a grid over the site. The grid step is set according to the size of the site; the source, grid size and cell dimension are stated explicitly in the analysis summary. If you are working from your own survey, topography can also be imported as DXF.
The analysis runs before the layout, because its output is the layout's input.
Two topographic quantities drive the decision on a ground-mounted site, and each is misleading on its own. Slope tells you how steep the surface is; aspect tells you which way it faces. Two pieces of ground at 8% slope will not carry the same plant if one faces south and the other north.
A south-facing slope is an advantage: shadow length shortens at the same row spacing, which allows a tighter pitch and raises irradiance on the module plane. On a north-facing slope the pitch has to open up — meaning less installed capacity on the same site. That is why the analysis produces the north–south slope component as its own layer alongside the slope classes: it shows the signed effect of aspect at a glance.
Steep slopes above a threshold are marked separately. They are a cost item because they need earthworks, and a design constraint because they complicate how tables sit. The threshold can be changed per project; when it changes, so do the usable area and therefore the capacity estimate.
Slope and aspect give the instantaneous state of the surface; contours are the classic and still the fastest way to read the ground. The analysis generates contour lines, thickens the major contours on a separate layer and writes elevation labels on another — so the drawing stays readable when printed. The contour interval is stated in the report.
Two more things are derived from the shape of the surface: probable drainage/valley lines and knoll/ridge areas. These are where flow converges and diverges. Placing tables across a watercourse is not only a structural question; the line where water collects after rainfall also governs cable trench and site road routing. The report gives the extent of these areas separately.
For areas needing earthworks, a rough cut-and-fill volume is calculated as a preliminary estimate. It is not an earthworks take-off, and is not presented as one; the purpose is to see the order of magnitude of levelling cost when choosing between two sites.
The accuracy of the analysis is bounded by the resolution of the digital elevation model beneath it. The grid cell size and total cell count are written into the report (for example a 2.5 m cell on a 248×208 grid). Stating this matters: a 2.5-metre grid cannot see a one-metre ditch or a single rock outcrop.
Terrain analysis is therefore a screening and design tool; it does not replace a measured survey or a geotechnical study. It is enough to see the real capacity of a site and the order of magnitude of levelling work before an investment decision, and it should be updated with site measurements at detailed design stage. The report also states explicitly what has not been modelled.
An open digital elevation model, fitted to a grid over the site. The source, grid size and cell dimension are stated in the analysis summary. If you have your own topographic survey you can import it as DXF.
Yes. The acceptable slope threshold is adjustable; areas above it are masked and can either be skipped in the layout or the table split at that point.
They do. Minor and major contours appear with elevation labels on separate layers in the setting-out DXF, and can also be exported as GeoJSON.
They have to be read together. Two pieces of ground at the same slope will not carry the same plant if one faces south and the other north: on a south-facing slope the shadow is shorter, so a tighter pitch is possible, while a north-facing slope forces the rows apart. That is why the analysis produces the north–south slope component as its own layer alongside the slope classes.
No, and it is not presented as one. The rough volume is a preliminary estimate; its purpose is to show the order of magnitude of levelling cost when choosing between two sites. It should be updated with site measurements at detailed design stage.
The cell size and grid dimensions of the digital elevation model used are written into the report (for example a 2.5 m cell on a 248×208 grid). Knowing this matters: a 2.5-metre grid cannot see a one-metre ditch or a single rock outcrop.
They are derived from the shape of the surface: lines where flow converges are marked as probable drainage/valley, and where it diverges as knoll/ridge, with their areas reported separately. These lines govern not only table placement but also cable trench and site road routing.
No. Terrain analysis is a screening and design tool; it cannot be used in place of a measured survey or a geotechnical study. It is enough to see the real capacity of a site and the order of magnitude of levelling work before an investment decision.
You can draw the boundary by hand on the map; the outer boundary is then produced from the union of the areas you draw, and the coordinate tables are generated as usual.
Let us run an analysis session on your own site and interpret the results together.