Feature request: System design - inverter types and their string sizes

Feature request: System design - inverter types and their string sizes
Can the following be considered for each subarray?
1) different inverters
2) different string lengths

Also can the following be considered
1) Increased number of sub-arrays
2) flexible application of string lengths to multiple input (MPPT) invterters.

Thanks for a great product
Mark

Hi Mark,
Thank you for this request. We are in the process of making changes to the detailed PV model that will make some of these configurations possible to model in SAM, so the request is timely.
Would you mind describing examples of systems that you would like to model? For example, would you want to model a system with two different brands of inverters, or with two different sizes of the same brand of inverter? What kind of system are you modeling with more than 4 sub-arrays? If have more details but would prefer not to share details on the public forum, please [url=mailto:sam.support@nrel.gov?subject=Inverter%20request t=_self]email me[/url] the descriptions.
Best regards,

Paul.

Hey, wondering when SAM will incorporate multi-MPPT modelling for string inverters that support multiple MPPT channels.

For example, I want to model a system with 8 PV modules facing southeast and 14 PV modules facing west such that the western facing modules are tied to MPPT channel 1 and the southeast facing modules are tied to MPPT channel 2 on a Fronius inverter.

We are working on this now, so hopefully it will be part of the next version of SAM to be released around the end of 2016 or beginning of 2017.

Best regards,
Paul.

We also need this feature. We have several PV systems that are not "symmetrical"; for example:

• 25 identical 10kW inverters, 1114 identical 265W modules at the same tilt & azimuth, but in a variety of string configurations (1 or 2 MPPTs per inverter, 4 or 5 strings per inverter, 10 or 11 modules per string)
• as above, but with a mix of 245W and 250W modules - some inverters have 4 strings x 11 modules x 245W, some have 4 x 11 x 245 plus 1 x 11 x 250
• 16 identical 24kW inverters, 2 separate roof areas with different tilts and azimuths, 15 to 18 modules per string, some strings of 310W modules and some strings of 315W modules
• 11 inverters ranging from 10kW to 20kW, 3 roof areas with the same tilt but different azimuths, 3 or 5 strings per inverter, all modules identical 315W

A good way to handle this would be a 5-layer structure (array - inverter - MPPT - string - module), where at each layer, you can have any number of groups of identical items (e.g. 3 10kW inverters plus 2 15kW inverters; or 4 strings of 11 245W modules plus 1 string of 11 250W modules), and where the layers below each group would be specified separately. This would give total flexibility while allowing symmetrical parts of the system to be specified simply.

It should be possible to specify the tilt and azimuth at any layer, where the values from the lower layer override the values from the higher layer. For example, you could set the tilt and azimuth for an array, and then override it with different values for a few specific strings (or even modules, although that would probably be a poor design).

Any update? Was it released or not? Can't find it anywhere.