After you create your project, you need to identify the location where you would like to place your modules. For rooftop solar, this is done by tracing an outline of the roof that you will be designing solar for, and then using Aurora's algorithms to convert that into a 3D model.
If at anytime you feel stuck, please contact support with your question, and we'd be happy to help you further.
Modeling the Roof
Make sure the green icon is at the center of the house, or close to an edge facing the street (if applicable).
Outlining the Roof
- Select Smartroof from the menu on the left and choose pitched or flat roof type.
- Move the cursor to the top left corner of the building. Click to place a node.
3. Continue to place nodes sequentially at any corner. After clicking on the first node, release
then move your mouse and click to place a node at the next corner of the building. In our
example we will move to the corner to the right of the building.
If you make a mistake, click on the node and hit delete on your keyboard, or you can hit ctrl + Z (⌘ + Z on Mac) to undo the action. To continue drawing, return to the last existing node and double-click it.
4. To complete the perimeter, hover your mouse over node 1 and click on it to complete the
roof shape.
Creating Roof Structure
Once you are done with drawing the roof edges, double click outside of the roof on the screen. Aurora will intelligently structure and apply azimuths or any rooftop setbacks you have preset to your model.
Adding obstructions and trees will help model how these objects might create shade that impacts your solar designs over time.
Adding Obstructions
- Click Add Obstruction from the Site menu on the left. A menu will appear showing you the types of obstructions you can add: Polygon, Rectangle, or Circle.
- In this example select the Rectangle.
- Move over to the ridge line. Left-click and hold to drag a rectangle. Release when finished.
- Repeat for all other obstructions.
If you have similar obstructions you can select an obstruction and use ctrl + C and ctrl + V (or ⌘ + C and ⌘ + V on Mac) to copy and paste.
Detecting Similar Obstructions
If your site has HD imagery you can detect similar obstructions on the roof by following the steps below:
- Select the obstruction you would like to detect.
- In the right menu click the Detect Similar Obstructions button.
Adding Trees
- Click on the Draw Tree in the left menu (or press T on your keyboard as a shortcut).
- Left-click and hold to drag the tree radius. Release when finished.
- Repeat for all nearby trees.
You can select a tree and use ctrl + C and ctrl + V to copy and paste it as well.
Map View
Click the Map Split button on the bottom left corner of the screen. Map view allows you to:
- Rotate the view.
- Toggle between a top down view or a 45 degree view.
- Zoom in and out.
Street View
Once you have selected Map Split click the Street View button on the bottom of the screen. Click the white arrows to walk along the side of the structure.
3D View
After you have completed your drawing you can easily toggle into the 3D view by clicking the 3D box icon (or holding right click) and moving your cursor up. Move your cursor left and right to rotate the view. The 3D view is essential to obtaining accurate roof slopes for system design, and accurate site characteristics for remote shading analysis. It's also a huge hit with customers who want to see what their house will look like with solar.
To adjust the dimensions of obstructions in 3D view:
- Click on the obstruction.
- An upward arrow will appear above the obstruction. Left click on the arrow and move your cursor up or down to adjust the height.
- You can also adjust the height and radius in the right toolbar menu.
To adjust the dimensions of obstructions in 3D view:
- Click on the tree.
- An upward arrow will appear above the tree. Left click on the arrow and move your cursor up or down to adjust the tree height.
- You can also adjust the shape, height, crown diameter, crown height, and trunk diameter in the menu on the right.
If LIDAR is available, follow these instructions to automatically scale your building to LIDAR.
Once you have completed your design click the Save button in the top left corner.
Next: Analyze Shading, Add Modules, and Simulate an Energy Output