Using Aurora you will be able to quickly design a sophisticated commercial PV installation in a few minutes. Follow this tutorial to learn how to perform a basic commercial design, then review our Advanced Commercial Design tips section for more detailed information.
If at anytime you feel stuck, please contact support with your question, and we will schedule a private training session for you.
Creating a new commercial project
On the Map section or on the Project page, click on the Create Project button.
Follow along with our examples by filling out the form with the following information:
- Address: 440 Logue Avenue, Mountain View, CA
- Name: My First Commercial Project
- Customer First Name: Joe
- Customer Last Name: Solar
Select Commercial as the Type.
Entering utility information
Navigate to your project and in the left side bar, click Consumption.
For the Utility Information, select the utility company, rate, and most recent utility rate version relevant to the project. In our case, we will be using:
Please note that if your commercial utility rate has a demand charge, you will need to upload Green Button Data to accurately model commercial financing in Aurora. Learn more here: Upload Green Button Data.
- Utility Provider: Aurora Sample Training Utility
- Utility Rate: Sample Commercial Utility Rate
- Utility Rate Version: 04 Jul 2016 - Present
Underneath the monthly graph, ensure "Energy" is selected and input energy (in kWh) for as many months as you can. We will be entering:
- Jan: 6900
- February: 7200
- March: 7900
Select Large Office as the Building Type. For Location, select Mountain View Moffett Fld Nas.
Aurora will interpolate the rest of the year for you.
If you only know the customer's bill amount, you can input that instead by clicking on Input Bill
Good job! You should have just been directed to your first project in Aurora.
The following sections in this series will take you through every step of a typical commercial project in Aurora.