Sunrun, Inc.

Sunpower Corporation

Gary Wayne

Billy Hinners

Michael Zaydman

Alexander Frumkin

Scott Lehman

Jules Brenner

Charles Buhler

John Hovell

Zachary Richard Campau

Jacob Wachman

William Colin Adkison

Jake Wachman

Chris Bunch

Embodiments may include systems and methods to create and edit a representation of a worksite, to create various data objects, to classify such objects as various types of predefined 'features' with attendant properties and layout constraints. As part of or in addition to classification, an embodiment may include systems and methods to create, associate, and edit intrinsic and extrinsic properties to these objects. A design engine may apply of design rules to the features described above to generate one or more solar collectors installation design alternatives, including generation of on-screen and/or paper representations of the physical layout or arrangement of the one or more design alternatives. Some embodiments may provide viewing, creating, and manipulating of multiple versions of a solar collector layout design for a particular installation worksite. The use of versions may allow analysis of alternative layouts, alternative feature classifications, and cost and performance data corresponding to alternative design choices. Version summary information providing a representative comparison between versions across a number of dimensions may be provided.

Automated solar collector installation design including version management

An optimization engine determines an optimal configuration for a solar power system projected onto a target surface. The optimization engine identifies an alignment axis that passes through a vertex of a boundary associated with the target surface and then constructs horizontal or vertical spans that represent contiguous areas where solar modules may be placed. The optimization engine populates each span with solar modules and aligns the solar modules within adjacent spans to one another. The optimization engine then generates a performance estimate for a collection of populated spans. By generating different spans with different solar module types and orientations, the optimization engine is configured to identify an optimal solar power system configuration.

Method and system for optimizing the configuration of a solar power system

Systems and methods are disclosed for generating permit sets. A rules engine can traverse various requirements of a rules data structure in conjunction with rule settings that define permitting rules in effect for a particular jurisdiction to determine a value for each requirement. Document objects may then be created by combining project inputs with the determined values. A composing engine can receive the document objects and populate one or more page templates with the document objects to create a permit set.

Systems and methods for generating permit sets

Embodiments may include systems and methods to create and edit a representation of a worksite, to create various data objects, to classify such objects as various types of pre-defined 'features' with attendant properties and layout constraints. As part of or in addition to classification, an embodiment may include systems and methods to create, associate, and edit intrinsic and extrinsic properties to these objects. A design engine may apply of design rules to the features described above to generate one or more solar collectors installation design alternatives, including generation of on-screen and/or paper representations of the physical layout or arrangement of the one or more design alternatives. In some embodiments, metadata about the design process, including the process of classifying features and providing user input, generating layouts, and then modifying those layouts, may be generated. The metadata may include information about exceptional conditions in the project state information or design. A list of exceptions corresponding to exceptional conditions may be generated, and the designer may interact with these exceptions in a variety of ways, such as by complying with rules to remove an item from the exceptions list or overriding the application of the rules. The exceptions may be non-blocking relative to other user actions.

Solar collector installation design system including exceptional condition management and display

An optimization engine determines the optimal configuration for a solar power system by simulating the performance of different solar module arrays projected onto a target surface. The optimization engine selects the optimally-performing solar module array and then simulates the performance of additional solar module subarrays projected onto various regions of the target surface not already covered by the optimally-performing solar module array. The optimal configuration includes the optimally-performing solar module array and one or more optimally-performing solar module subarrays.

Embodiments may include systems and methods to create and edit a representation of a worksite, to create various data objects, to classify such objects as various types of pre-defined 'features' with attendant properties and layout constraints. As part of or in addition to classification, an embodiment may include systems and methods to create, associate, and edit intrinsic and extrinsic properties to these objects. A design engine may apply of design rules to the features described above to generate one or more solar collectors installation design alternatives, including generation of on-screen and/or paper representations of the physical layout or arrangement of the one or more design alternatives. Some embodiments may provide viewing, creating, and manipulating of multiple versions of a solar collector layout design for a particular installation worksite. The use of versions may allow analysis of alternative layouts, alternative feature classifications, and cost and performance data corresponding to alternative design choices. Version summary information providing a representative comparison between versions across a number of dimensions may be provided.

A configuration engine traverses sequential levels of a decision tree in order to iteratively refine a configuration for a solar power system. At each level of the decision tree, the configuration engine determines the outcome of a design decision based on computing the result of a value function. The configuration engine explores configurations that optimize the value function result compared to other configurations, and may also discard less optimal configurations. When a current configuration is considered less optimal than a previous configuration generated at a previous level, the configuration engine discards the current configuration and re-traverses the decision tree starting with the previous configuration.

Technique for pricing a solar power system

Method and system for generating multiple configurations for a solar power system

Embodiments may include systems and methods to create and edit a representation of a worksite, to create various data objects, to classify such objects as various types of pre-defined 'features' with attendant properties and layout constraints. As part of or in addition to classification, an embodiment may include systems and methods to create, associate, and edit intrinsic and extrinsic properties to these objects. A design engine may apply of design rules to the features described above to generate one or more solar collectors installation design alternatives, including generation of on-screen and/or paper representations of the physical layout or arrangement of the one or more design alternatives.

Automated solar collector installation design

Embodiments may include systems and methods to create and edit a representation of a worksite, to create various data objects, to classify such objects as various types of pre -defined 'features' with attendant properties and layout constraints. As part of or in addition to classification, an embodiment may include systems and methods to create, associate, and edit intrinsic and extrinsic properties to these objects. A design engine may apply of design rules to the features described above to generate one or more solar collectors installation design alternatives, including generation of on-screen and/or paper representations of the physical layout or arrangement of the one or more design alternatives. Embodiments may also include definition of one or more design apertures, each of which may correspond to boundaries in which solar collector layouts should comply with distinct sets of user-defined design preferences. Distinct apertures may provide heterogeneous regions of collector layout according to the user-defined design preferences.

Automated solar collector installation design including ability to define heterogeneous design preferences

Embodiments may include systems and methods to create and edit a representation of a worksite, to create various data objects, to classify such objects as various types of pre-defined 'features' with attendant properties and layout constraints. As part of or in addition to classification, an embodiment may include systems and methods to create, associate, and edit intrinsic and extrinsic properties to these objects. A design engine may apply of design rules to the features described above to generate one or more solar collectors installation design alternatives, including generation of on-screen and/or paper representations of the physical layout or arrangement of the one or more design alternatives. Embodiments may also include definition of one or more design apertures, each of which may correspond to boundaries in which solar collector layouts should comply with distinct sets of user-defined design preferences. Distinct apertures may provide heterogeneous regions of collector layout according to the user-defined design preferences.

Growing community of inventors

Berkeley, CA, United States of America

Gary Wayne