Designing with Aurora: configuration checklist

Ready to start designing in Aurora? Follow these quick and easy steps to unlock the power of speed and accuracy in your solar designs.

1. Add your system components

Before you can start designing, you must select the system components your company works with and installs. Aurora recommends selecting your modules, inverters, and DC optimizers.

To add your modules:

1. Go to Database in the left navigation bar
2. Turn on Specify component availability
3. Search for and turn on the modules that you use
4. Repeat steps 1-3 to add Inverters and DC optimizers

2. Apply your setbacks

You will want to create setbacks so that when you design a PV system, the relevant setbacks will be applied to your design. Roof setbacks are company-wide design guidelines that you can set to define how much distance you want between the solar system and the edges of the roof.

To add your setbacks:

1. Go to Database in the left navigation bar
2. Click on Jurisdictions
3. Select + Jurisdictions
4. Fill in your preferred defaults
5. Click Save in the upper right-hand corner

Please Note: Fire pathways are mandatory in the US for compliance with local codes. Setbacks, on the other hand, are optional and can serve safety or design purposes for your individual needs.

3. Adjust your pricing

You need to set your pricing method and price per watt to ensure that you are quoting the proper price to homeowners. Aurora provides you with the flexibility to price based on price per watt, flat price, or both. You can also use adders and discounts to further fine-tune your pricing based on system size, seasonal promotions, etc.

To add pricing:

1. Go to Settings in the left navigation bar
2. Click on General
3. Choose your Pricing method
4. Click Add default to add your price per watt or flat price. You can also decide to switch between the two options or add both

4. Confirm your utility escalation rate

To better illustrate the amount of time it will take for a homeowner to see a return on investment for going solar, you need to define a default value for utility escalation rate.

To add a utility escalation rate:

1. Go to Settings in the left navigation bar
2. Click on Utility and tax rates
3. Select Edit
4. Then select a default rate for all projects or Set a rate based on location
5. Click Save