Introducing Helios 3D Layout Software

Examples of information that can be managed through the Helios 3D database are:

• Solar Racks
• Modules
• Bill of Materials
• Post Coordinates
• Company Name and Contact Information
• Documents Excel©, Word©, PDF, DWG (executable through DB)

Helios 3D has state of the art functions that surpass anything available on the market in regards to solar PV layout.

Several design tools are:
• Rack Placement (auto calc)
• Shadow Object Placement and Calculation (for any time of the day and year)
• Row Numbering
• Terrain Analysis
• Row Distance Specification
• Field Alignment and Layout
• Access Roads, Staging Areas, etc. Integrable into Design
• Differentiation between Interior and Exterior Array Sections (if applicable with used racking)

Several design features are:
• Ability to define any rack type
• Electrical design tools available in near future (numbering of strings, wire dimensioning, trenching)
• Export of data to PVSYST-System
• Calculation of earth movement possible through Civil 3D platform (for grading purposes, will show actual masses that need to be moved)

The Helios 3D digital terrain analysis tool creates the ability to rapidly assess any particular tract of land and helps determine if it will be suitable for the proposed project. Recognizing terrain constraints in the initial analysis can save time and money in the planning and construction phases of development. Various forms of data can be used to create Digital Terrain Model (DTM), while terrain information may be imported in a variety of ways. There are several ways to obtain and create a DTM surface for Helios to analyze:

Several design tools are:
• Google Earth (GE)
• USGS
• Surveyors Data File Report
• AutoCAD files with points and contours

Helios 3D now offers PV Plant Engineering for electrical layouts.

New features make it possible to:
• Create custom electrical device hierarchies
• Create string assignments
• Design cable trenching and apply it to the physical rack layout
• Determine equipment quantities and cable lengths