AutoCAD for PV Systems Design

Course Syllabus

1. Description

This course prepares the student to make drawings in AutoCAD that document the design

of a photovoltaic power system. If you want to learn how to produce inspector-ready

drawings in AutoCAD, this is your course! We will start with hand drawings and

specifications for a solar power system. We will create AutoCAD drawings based on this

information. We will also see how to link Excel spreadsheets with AutoCAD.

2. Background

It is helpful if you are familiar with basic mathematics and electricity. It will also be

helpful if you are familiar with the following:

the components of a PV power system and their function

how electric circuits work, series & parallel connection

how power, voltage and current are related in a circuit

basic computer functions and software (mouse, menus, etc.)

Cartesian coordinate systems (X,Y)

3. Organization

The emphasis will be on hands-on activities throughout. We will begin drawing a PV

system in AutoCAD together on the first day. Each day we will build on what weve learned, working toward a more complete design by the end of the course.

4. Course Objectives

At the completion of the course, you will be able to:

Draw & edit basic CAD entities such as lines, rectangles & circles.

Prepare a site plan in CAD using measurements gathered during site evaluation.

Draw a proposed layout of PV modules, taking roof slope into account.

Organize and manage complex CAD drawings using grouping and layers.

Create a single line electrical diagram for a typical PV power system.

Create an Excel spreadsheet and link it to AutoCAD.

Create a mechanical diagram showing racks and/or footings.

Label (annotate) a CAD drawing and prepare it for publication

Day 1

Module 1 Introduction and Review of Photovoltaic Systems

1) Why CAD? a) Example Drawings b) Workflow c) Site Plan Drawings d) Electrical Diagrams e) Mechanical Digrams

2) Solar Energy Basics (review using examples above for reference) a) DC & AC current, voltage & power b) Series & Parallel Circuits

Module 2 Fundamentals of AutoCAD

1) Drawing a Site Plan a) Drawing a Property Line (Line Segments, Rectangle) b) Drawing the Roof Outline c) Drawing a Tree (circle)

2) Drawing a PV Module Array a) Creating a New Layer for PV b) Draw a single module c) Group the module d) Copy & Paste to Create the Array

Project 1: Creating a Site Plan

Instructions: Make a copy of your drawing from class, or add this drawing in the same file.

Youll need the settings from class. Start with the first point entered by hand, anywhere on the drawing. Enter the remaining points/lines in relative coordinates, using @.

Day 2

Module 3 Electrical Diagrams

1) Review of Circuits a) Voltage, Current & Power b) Series & Parallel

2) Drawing a Single Line Diagram a) PV Array b) Combiner Box c) DC Disconnect d) Inverter e) AC Disconnect f) Panel Connection g) Service Connection

Project 2: Create a Three Line Diagram

Instructions: You can start with your single line drawing. Change it as appropriate to match the

example in the handout.

Module 4 Excel & AutoCAD

1) Basic Excel functions 2) Spreadsheet for Solar

a) Customer Info b) Module Info c) Inverter Info d) Making a configuration sheet

3) Data Lists - Data Validation 4) Processing the data - VLOOKUP 5) Transferring data to AutoCAD

Project 3: Open the Excel file PV_Config. On the Config tab, add a section for choosing inverter configurations. The inverter raw data is on the Inverters tab. Create a title block in Excel and import it into AutoCAD. Extra credit: calculate overhead module dimensions

including tilt angle, export them in a table to AutoCAD.

Day 3

Module 4 Mechanical Diagrams

1) Drawing Footings & Roof Structure

Module 5 Annotation & Publishing

1) Dimensioning 2) Text & Leaders 3) Model Space vs. Paper Space 4) Plotting & Publishing

Project 4: Preparing Previous Drawings for Publication. Add dimensions and leaders where

appropriate. Create a Layout tab for each drawing (Site Plan, Electrical, Mechanical). Plot

each finished drawing.