With the remarkable growth in solar photovoltaic (PV) capacity, Italy has witnessed a renewable energy transformation in the first half of 2023. The addition of 2.5 gigawatts (GW) of new renewable capacity has significantly boosted the country's clean energy production. According to the Monthly Electricity System Report by the power grid operator Terna, domestic clean energy sources covered an impressive 44.3% of the nation's electricity demand in June 2023.

However, with the expanding solar PV sector, there is an urgent need for process optimization through automation and digitalization to fully harness the potential of this clean energy source. This is where RatedPower steps in, understanding the needs of the growing solar industry and providing tailored solutions to ensure the efficient deployment and operation of solar projects. The company will be a key player in a new edition of Energyear Italy, the top-rated networking congress for the renewable industry, which will take place from 18-19 October in Milan.

RatedPower, with a track record of serving nearly 20 clients in the country, including industry leaders such as 3SUN, Incico, SCS Ingegneria and Intellienergia, has a deep understanding of the changing needs of user developers and EPCs. Aware that the industry landscape demands more flexible and customized solutions, the company has been at the forefront of responding to these challenges.

The company behind pvDesign, a cloud-based software that automates and optimizes the analysis, design and engineering of utility-scale photovoltaic plants at all stages, also knows that, to thrive in this dynamic industry, it is crucial to provide tools that can adapt to the specific requirements of each project and offer tailored inputs that meet the unique needs of each client. That is why it has created solutions such as:

1. Inputs Per Area: It is usual that due to area characteristics such as shape and size, users would like to apply different input strategies to get the most out of the terrain. They are now able to define the civil and power inputs per area. RatedPower believes that this feature will increase the ability to customize the PV plant and achieve more installed capacity.
2. 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.
3. Capacitor Banks: The capacitor bank solution is a great alternative to compensate for the reactive power without having to add more inverters in the plant. RatedPower now includes this option in the power factor tool, where users can choose if they want to use both inverters and capacitor banks, or only one of them.
4. New CAPEX Templates: In pvDesign, users can both upload/create as well as use cost templates that the software provides, to calculate the CAPEX, specific price, and LCOE of your PV plant. pvDesign also generates a financial report based on these prices. The available templates have been recently updated with the IRENA 2022 prices, which users can rely on.

A 360º adaptation

The AgriPV boom is also gaining importance in Italy as demand begins to grow. This approach, which allows for efficient land use, reducing dependence on external energy sources, promoting sustainable agricultural practices and taking advantage of government incentives, has led RatedPower to tailor its solutions to meet the unique needs of this sector.

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.

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.

As part of its growth strategy, RatedPower is taking part in Key Energy from February 28 to March 1, 2024. This underscores RatedPower's dedication to advancing renewable energy solutions and expanding its influence in the clean energy sector.

RatedPower’s dedicated team is eager to answer all your questions about it’s the software and its new functionalities, available in six different languages. Request a free demo through this link.