OpenSolar 3D Design Tool Provides Unmatched Accuracy In New Findings By Two Of The Solar Industry’s Leading Expert Resources

Posted 3 November 2021

SYDNEY  and SAN FRANCISCO, November 3, 2021 – OpenSolar, Inc., a solar SaaS  company keenly focused on empowering solar installers with the world’s  most accurate and entirely free solar design and sales platform, today  announced the findings of independent, third-party assessments that  validate the unmatched accuracy of its solar design tool. As a result,  by utilizing OpenSolar’s industry-leading design tool, solar installers  will have full confidence they are providing customers with the most  accurate photovoltaic (PV) designs that fit their solar energy needs.  Combined with other key features of OpenSolar’s free-to-use platform,  including access to a range of state-of-the-art hardware, a portfolio of  competitive solar financing options, and on-demand customized  permitting proposals, the company enables solar installers to convert  more prospects into booked sales while saving time and eliminating the  costly licensing fees attached to other solar design and sales  platforms.

As part of OpenSolar’s validation process, the company engaged with PV  EvolutionLabs (PVEL) and the United States National Renewable Energy  Laboratory (NREL), two of the solar industry’s most trusted expert  resources, to provide independent, third-party assessments of the  accuracy of its design tool. The assessments include the following  processes and findings.

Shading​

OpenSolar asked the United  States National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), which has been  benchmarking shading accuracy of solar design tools for years, to assess  the company’s 3D design tool. NREL compared the shading estimates  provided by OpenSolar’s remote 3D tool with assessments made on the same  roof using a SunEye, the world’s leading hand-held electronic shade  measurement tool for on-site assessment. NREL found the accuracy of  OpenSolar estimates to be best-in-class.

  • ​OpenSolar’s assessment of Sun Access Values was accurate to within +/- 3%
  • The current US market leader was only found to be accurate to within +/- 5%

Site Assessment

OpenSolar engaged PVEL, the  leading independent lab for the global downstream solar industry, to  assess the accuracy of its system-generated site models. PVEL took  measurements both in the field and in OpenSolar across a wide range of  differently shaped and sized roofs. PVEL found the accuracy of  OpenSolar’s models to be best-in-class.

  • ​OpenSolar’s assessment of scale was accurate to within 1 ⅓ feet 100% of the time (no other tool provides as narrow a tolerance)
  • OpenSolar’s assessment of  pitch was accurate to within 4 degrees over 97% of the time (no other  tool provides as narrow a tolerance OR such high compliance)

Energy Modeling

OpenSolar’s energy modeling  (the conversion of key inputs, including pitch azimuth and shading into  the key output: production) is based on NREL’s most advanced System Advisor Model (SAM).   The company engaged with PVEL to validate the integrity of OpenSolar’s  implementation of SAM, when comparing it to industry standard energy  modeling tools like PVsyst or standalone implementations of NREL’s SAM.   PVEL found:

  • ​OpenSolar’s energy modeling is consistent with standard engineering practices
  • OpenSolar’s production figures are within 0.0%-0.2% of standalone SAM estimates
  • OpenSolar’s production figures are within 0.1%-1.9% of PVsyst estimates