Sketchup Manual PDF
Sketchup Manual PDF
Sketchup Manual PDF
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Rev-20131118
SketchUp Manual
1.0
Shade Modeling
HelioScope incorporates near-field shading patterns for obstructions near a solar array. Shade from objects
will not only reduce the potential energy generation of the shaded modules, it can also lead to mismatch
losses. This energy impact of shade will depend the shape and location of the obstruction, the equipment (e.g.
module type, and potential module-level electronics), and the electrical design of the system. The componentbased nature of HelioScope makes it the ideal approach to understand the overall energy impact of shade.
HelioScope uses SketchUp, a widely-used 3D modeling program, for modeling the impact of shade objects.
SketchUp enables detailed geo-location through Google Earth.
1.1
1.
Download plugin: The SketchUp plugin for HelioScope can be found on the Shading tab within a
HelioScope Project. The SketchUp plugin file has the standard .RBZ" extension and is compatible
with both the Windows and Mac versions of SketchUp . Download and save this file to your computer.
A note on compatibility: some versions of Internet Explorer will change the file extension to .ZIP while
downloading. If this happens, please rename the extension to .RBZ. This problem does not happen in
Firefox, Chrome, or equivalent browsers.
2.
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3.
4.
5.
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1.2
The HelioScope SketchUp plugin requires a geo-located 3D model of the obstructions near the array.
Add Location. From SketchUp, click the Add
Location button, which will open
up a box for adding the location
of the array. Enter the address
or latitude and longitude into the
dialog box and select Search.
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The control window will now show an active area,
surrounded by push pins. Size the active area to
match the field array, including all relevant
obstructions. When finished, click Grab, and the
section of Google Earth will be added to the SketchUp
model.
Create shade objects. Build the obstruction objects, including roof objects, nearby trees, and nearby
buildings, in the SketchUp model.
Make sure the locations and
dimensions of the objects match
as closely as possible to reality.
Use the Google Earth layer to
locate the exact position of each
shade object. It may be best to
re-orient the z-axis of the model
such that the base layer is in line
with the height of the modules.
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F. Make sure the spatial proximity of the shade objects and the modules is correct. This can be done in by
verifying the shade overlay in the designer.
G. As you make changes and refine your SketchUp models, re-register the files under different names (e.g.
Warehouse Shade v1, Warehouse Shade v2, etc) before you upload the shade profile. This aids
significantly in version control and makes it easier to reproduce earlier results.
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1.3
1. Initiate plugin and log in: Once the obstructions are designed, select the HelioScope plugin from the
plugin menu. A dialog box will appear, where you can log in to your HelioScope account.
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1.4
After importing a shade profile from the SketchUp Plugin, the shade patterns can be viewed in HelioScope.
The Shading tab
enables you to manage
the Shade Profiles on the
Project:
A. List of Shade Profiles
that have been
loaded
B. Link to download the
Plugin
C. Link to download the
SketchUp Plugin User
manual
A
B
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