When using the 3D scene shading model inside of SAM, should the active surface be the size of a single cell or the size of the entire solar module? I was thinking it should be the size of the cell that would be shaded first as the current in the module would drop to the lowest cell current since they are in series for traditional modules.
Each active surface in the scene should correspond to a subarray on the System Design page. If the system consists of a single subarray, then the active surface should have the same orientation and size as Subarray 1.
The 3D shade model estimates the reduction in incident beam radiation on the entire array due to nearby shading objects. As described in SAM's Help system, "the shade loss at a given time is the ratio of the shaded area of the active surface to its total area expressed as a percentage." The model does not attempt to determine the effect of partial shading of individual modules or the array.
Best regards,
Paul.
