Direct Energy Solar
Helping homeowners harness the power of the sun
Project Type:
Solar Panel Array Assessment and Design
My Role:
User Researcher, Surveyor and Energy Auditor, Visual Designer, Prototyper, Presentation Designer
Software Used:
Disclaimer: Due to Direct Energy Solar's non disclosure agreement I am not able to share examples of actual customer homes. Instead I will be walking you through the design process and the steps I took to create a user-centered solar system design.
The Situation:
What is a Solar System Design?
When a homeowner gets curious about installing solar panels on their home, most of the time a solar company will do a free solar assessment of their rooftop.
Where does a Solar System Designer fit in? As a Solar System Designer my job at Direct Energy Solar (DES) was to measure the customer's rooftops both in terms of size and solar exposure. I accomplished this by running solar surveys and energy audits. I then used the measurements from the surveys to create a 3D design of their home and design a solar panel array that produced the most energy possible. However, ultimately, the final design depended on the customer and where they wanted to have the panels installed making user research, empathy and a good ear valuable skills.
Challenges
The challenges for a solar system designer vary day-by-day and can range from not having a clear image of the rooftops due to a poor satellite image, to not being able to get on top of a roof due to the angle or position of the roof. However, the main challenge most of the time is making sure the design meets all the customer's needs and gives them a pleasurable experience at the end of the day.
User Research
User Interviews
At the start of any project the first thing to do is talk with the customer. The goal for me was to find out what the customer's energy usage was and what they would like it to be after the installation of the panels. I also had to take aesthetics into account and make sure to design the array in a visually pleasing way.
For example, a customer may want to keep panels off their front facing rooftop even though it might be the highest energy producing surface.
Quote From User Interview
"One thing I really want to avoid is having my solar panels visible from the street. I really want to keep my curb appeal and don't want people to see the panels."
-D.E.S. Customer
Survey and Energy Audit
I ran a solar survey and energy audit by either visiting the homeowner's property or using software programs like Pictometry and Aurora to collect the data remotely.
The goal here was to find out their current energy usage and measure the homes rooftops so I could create the home in 3D from the top down. I also had to measure the solar exposure for each rooftop so I could place the panels on the best surfaces when I was creating the design.
During my survey I might find that the house is made up of two 30x60 rooftops with a skylight and chimney on one and a few vents scattered around the other rooftop. Also I might find that the customers energy usage requires at least 6 panels to cover their energy bill.
Field Notes Example (Click to Enlarge)
Thanks to the research I did early on, I am now able to create a design that I know the customer will be happy with.
Visual Design
Once I met with the customer and collected both the physical measurements of the rooftops as well as the solar exposure data from each roof, I could then create a 3D representation of their home complete with solar panels and any obstructions that might limit their placement in the future.
Because of the chimney and skylight on the front of the home as well as the customers wishes to keep all the panels on the back of the house, I created a design that focused on the back rooftop that fit in between the rooftop vents.
SketchUp 3D Model Example (Click to Enlarge)
Aurora 3D Model Example (Click to Enlarge)
Prototype
Depending on the project It was sometimes necessary to create a prototype showing an irradiance map of the home. This was to give users an idea of what rooftops had the best overall exposure during an entire day of sunlight.
Below you can see an example of how an irradiance map might look like using Aurora software complete with panels and obstructions in black.
Irradiance Map (Click to Enlarge)
Final Design and Presentation
With the design and solar energy report complete and the prototype all finished it was my job to put everything together so that the solar consultant could present it to the customer. I used salesforce and Apple Numbers to create a solar energy report that showed how the current design could decrease their bill or negate it completely.
Remember this design was not the final design. If for some reason the customer did not like the energy output or the layout of the panels, we went back to the drawing board to make sure they were getting the system they wanted.
Our overall goal was to make sure they had a pleasurable experience and at the end of the day had a solar system design that made their lives easier and more enjoyable.
