​

PlantPredict

​

Version 12 (Stable Release) is Officially Launched!

• New 3D Modeling Environment (Fully API Accessible):
  • Site-level 3D scenes (PVC and SHD file imports)
  • Shade visualization for every timestep in your weather file
  • Heatmap visualizations of 3D shade calculation results
  • Fast, accurate and validated 3D beam irradiance shade calculations
  • Three sun position binning options for even faster shade calculations (Detailed, Balanced, Quick)
  • Beam shade factor table CSV export for direct PVsyst comparison (10deg Sun Height x 20deg Sun Azimuth)
  • New non-linear shade electrical effect model (Step Fractional)
  • 3D transposition (POAI) calculations for Beam, Diffuse and Ground components
  • New terrain-aware backtracking model
  • Support for user-defined, non-uniform tracker rotation schedules
  • Support for fixed-tilt, standard and terrain-following tracker modeling
  • Support for modeling shading from 3D objects (i.e., trees, wind turbines)
  • See our 3D Shade Scene and Calculations page in our User Guide for more information
• New Wind Stow Modeling (Fully API Accessible):
  • Wind gust data now supported for weather files
  • Two wind stow models to choose from:
    • PlantPredict wind stow model
    • Array Technologies wind stow model (requires separate ATI API key)
  • See our Wind Stow Models pages in our User Guide for more information
• Improved AC Collection Circuit Loss Modeling (Fully API Accessible):
  • More realistic non-linear resistive loss model replaces legacy fixed-percentage loss model
  • See our AC Collection System page within our Models & Algorithms Guide for more information
• Sub-Hourly Battery Energy Storage Modeling (Fully API Accessible)
• Numerous Weather File Integration Upgrades (Fully API Accessible)
• Map Builder Improvements:
  • 3D design export in PVC format
  • Support for the creation of 3D shade objects

​

Improvements and Bug Fixes in V12.18.0

• Logic Version 12 is Default - Logic Version 12 is now the default logic version for new predictions created. Additionally, for API and SDK users, if not explicitly specified in the API call, new predictions will default to logic version 12.
• 3D Transposition Applied to Each Irradiance Component - When running 3D calculations, the effects of non-uniform orientations on Plane of Array Irradiance (POAI) are now calculated and applied separately for each irradiance component (Beam, Diffuse and Ground). The 3D Corrected Irradiances are now reported in the DC Field Nodal Data for each component.
• 3D Correction to Transposition on POA Quantified in Loss Tree - On the Prediction Results page, the loss tree now includes a new parameter 3D Correction to Transposition on POA %. This factor quantifies the loss or gain associated with the non-uniform 3D orientations in the 3D scene.

• New Shade Factor Table Export - Users may now download a Beam Irradiance Shade Factor Table for direct comparison against PVsyst. Note - This download is only available for Fixed-Tilt and Trackers using Standard Backtracking or True Tracking models.
• Increase 3D Scene System Size - The 3D scene size limit has been increased to generally support 1+ GW terrain-following tracker systems. Specifically, PlantPredict inspects the total number of PV collector objects and the total number of weather file time steps and loads any scene with less than 2 billion PV Collector Objects x Time Steps.
• Support for SHD File Import (Beta) - PlantPredict now supports the import of 3D scenes in SHD format (PVsyst proprietary) for easier transition of project data from PVsyst to PlantPredict.
• UI Improvements to 3D Scene Overview Page - When Representative DC Field is selected for the Orientations, an information card is provided that informs the user of the settings within the Target DC Field selected.

​

Bug Fixes

• Corrected an issue where inverter efficiency and output power could be negative for very low DC power scenarios under specific Vmpp edge cases. This has been fixed, and the inverter output power can no longer be less than 0W.
• An issue in DC Field Nodal Data has been corrected to now report Global Back POAI and Average GHI. These values were previously erroneously reported as 0.
• Fixed an edge-case model issue where heterogeneous DC Fields with significantly different IV Curve characteristics connected to a single inverter MPP would result in an inverter shutdown when Vmpp for the combined DC Fields fell within Zone 10 (DC Clipping).
• Ohmic Power Loss Units in the DC Field Nodal Data have been corrected to from Joules (J) to Watts (W).
• PVC files exported from PlantPredict have been improved to correct minor non-rectangular distortion when converting 3D geometry from a geographic coordinate system to a cartesian coordinate system for the PVC format. This results in improved recognition of PV tables when importing into PVsyst.
• We’ve corrected an issue for Southern Hemisphere projects where the transposition loss / gains were reversed.
• We’ve disabled sun position binning Quick and Balanced options (which use interpolation between sun positions) for tracking models using Terrain-Aware Backtracking, Wind Stow, Irradiance Optimization and/or Time Series uploaded Rotation Schedules.

​

Pro Tools

​

General Updates

• AWS Dependencies Update: Amazon AWS dependencies were updated to maintain service stability and ensure platform continuity.
• Quality & Stability: Introduced Angular unit tests for core workflows, improving regression detection and refactor safety.

​

Bug Fixes

• SSL Certificate Issue: Resolved an SSL issue caused by the PlantPredict certificate, ensuring stable access to Pro Tools services.
• QA Tool Access: Restored access to the QA tool from the Pro Tools menu for the Terabase users.

​

Terrain Pro

​

New Features and Improvements!

• Optional EPSG Code on Import: EPSG code is now an optional input when importing data (CSV, CAD, or PVCase BOM). If no EPSG code is provided, the site is rendered with a generic 2D/3D background.

• ESRI Layer Integration: Mapbox layers in the Terrain Pro viewer have been replaced with ESRI layers, delivering improved rendering and map performance.
• Rack Data Visualization: Rack data is now available in the rack profile viewer within the output section, improving insight into project-level rack configurations.

• Wind Exposure Export: Export of wind exposure data has been enabled in the output section.

​

Bug Fixes

• Large Site Heatmap Performance: Heatmap generation performance has been significantly improved for large sites (>5,000 acres).
• Layer Generation Reliability: The “Failed to create layer” error has been resolved through the new viewer and backend architecture for data generation and storage.
• Backward Compatibility Restored: Backward compatibility of the new Terrain Pro viewer with Mercator analyses is now fully restored.
• CSV Output Restored: The “Download CSV” output button has been reinstated on the Terrain Pro dashboard.
• Improved XLSX Compatibility: Enhanced compatibility between the new Terrain Pro viewer and XLSX-imported data (e.g., PVCase BOM).
• Unit Synchronization: Units in the heatmap legend and earthwork outputs are now synchronized with the user’s selected measurement system.

​

Pile configurator

​

New Features and Improvements!

• Persistent Edited Values: Edited pile section and minimum embedment values are now retained when creating or deleting bins, reducing repetitive re-entry and improving workflow efficiency**.**

​

Design Pro

​

New Features and Improvements!

• User and Company Data Sync: Updates to the user name or company name in the PlantPredict menu are now automatically synchronized with the Design Pro database for consistency across systems.