RatedPower, the company behind the success of pvDesign, a cloud-based software that automates and optimizes the analysis, design and engineering of utility-scale photovoltaic plants at all stages, has been closely following the French market and its path to energy transition.

According to France's Ministry of Ecological Transition, during the full year 2022, France deployed 2.4 GW of new solar power. By comparison, the country added 2.57 GW in 2021. This evidence and the rapid growth that has been demonstrated over the past few months has made France a priority region for RatedPower.

At present, the company's technical support, its software (pvDesign) and the +400 pages of documentation generated are available in French. In addition, RatedPower has understood the importance of AgriPVin the region's energy transition path and has adapted its software functionalities to the new energy needs of the region.

With the adaptation of their functionalities for AgriPV, RatedPower has taken users to another level by enabling them to:

• personalize the pitch distance and adjust it to the project they  are working on.
• optimize the post height by changing the minimum ground clearance value.
• modify the tilt angle according to the needs of the hybrid AgriPV project for more efficient estimations.
• add different inputs per polygon, to have different pitch distances and choose the optimal option.

In terms of available equipment, the company explains that the software includes a wide database featuring essential equipment and modules from leading global providers. Users also have the flexibility to import their custom data. Furthermore, any equipment can be set by default in the projects if they are using the same configuration.

Regarding site definition, pvDesign seamlessly integrates Google Earth and clients can also select their preferred coordinates. In addition, the software expands the scope of functionalities with Géoportail, a free source where users can download the parcels in Geojson format and convert them to KML using QGIS, to then upload them into pvDesign.

Besides the adaptation of its functionalities, the RatedPower team has recently added a new one, the Shape Tool. With this new feature, it is possible to use shapes to define the sites’ polygons. Software users can draw available and restricted areas, as well as the interconnection facility and BESS footprints, using circles and rectangles.

Through pvDesign it is also possible to get different inputs per polygon in the layout tab. This allows users to have different pitch distances, something that is also quite significant in the development of AgriPV plants.

A complete adaptation for the French market

The international experience of RatedPower in different fields has allowed the company to know what the specific customer needs per country are. That is why, among the recent milestones of its software, also customized for the France-based users, six important adaptations have emerged:

1. Group areas in LV: This new feature allows users to indicate the available areas that can share the LV system. Previously, an inverter could only be contained in one area. This had the effect that if an area was too small, there could be unused structures due to DC/AC ratio restrictions.
2. No roads layout configuration: It is possible to generate layouts which don't have any roads. Removing roads leads to a higher area fill factor. The power station location can also be changed. When the no roads option is selected, the power stations will be placed as close to the access point of the available area as possible.
3. Power Flow Model: pvDesign now calculates the Power Flow Model of the PV plant based on the WECC guidelines. The model includes the overhead line, substation transformers, MV collectors for each generator (either PV or BESS), power station transformers, and generators.
4. 3D layout web view: The software allows visualizing the 3D layout in the web interface instead of downloading the Layout 3D DWG document. The 3D view shows the terrain, the structures (fixed or tracker) and their piles, the power stations, the roads, and the area boundaries.
5.  AC and DC-coupled BESS: It is possible to hybridize a PV asset by adding AC- or DC-coupled BESS to the layout. Users can also easily compare production and cost estimates between AC and DC hybrid PV systems.
6. Customization of the power station transformers: clients can define the configuration of the power station transformers. The available options are to add another transformer (2 transformers per power station), to select between 2-winding or 3-winding transformers, to oversize the transformer capacity by up to 30%, and to modify the short circuit impedance.

Through the participation in events like Energaïa, from 13th-14th December 2023 (Hall B1 booth E04), the company confirms its commitment to France and its mission to continue digitalizing the renewable energy industry. Would you like to meet the RatedPower team in person? Check out the next events they will be attending here.

For more information about pvDesign, please click here. If you would like a free demo, you can request one via this link.