FAQs

• General
• Can I pay Easy PV to design a project for me?
• How do I link my Midsummer Account to pull over my trade prices?
• Can I do a retrofit project in Easy PV?
• Can I do commercial or industrial designs in Easy PV?
• Can I do a battery-only project?
• Custom components
• Can I add components that aren't listed on Easy PV?
• I added a battery in ‘My Components’ but it isn’t showing up as an option in the Inverter task.
• I added a hybrid inverter to ‘My Components’ but can’t add a battery to it in the Inverter Task.
• I have added a new inverter in 'My Components', but I'm unable to allocate panels to its inputs. How do I fix this?
• I can’t allocate my panels to an inverter - all the options are red.
• GSE showing as not compatible with my panel but I've checked that is it compatible - why?
• Buildings, roof and panels task
• Which design mode should I use?
• Does Magic design mode work in my area?
• Can I upload a CAD file or design PDF to use when doing a design?
• How can I adjust roof measurements in the Roof task?
• Can I change the orientation of the panels on a flat roof?
• The roof type I want isn't an option, what do I choose?
• Performance and consumption task
• The MCS self-consumption calculations in the Performance task don't work for my project - why?
• Where is section C, D and E of the performance report?
• Structural task
• Why won't the structural calculations work for my project?
• Financial task
• Why are there two consumption figures to choose from in the financial task?
• Why do some of the financial savings appear to be different on the Customer Proposal and Easy PV Project Report?
• The payback period is too long, how can I fix this?
• Can I include VAT on the proposal?
• Customer proposal
• My customer proposoal isn't loading - why?
• How do I attach my logo/branding to the customer proposal or Easy PV project report?
• How do I hide line prices in the customer proposal?
• I’ve done a 3D design, can I include the 3D preview in the customer proposal document?

General

Can I pay Easy PV to design a project for me?

No, this is not a service we offer at Easy PV, but if you’re struggling to use the software, you can always come to one or more of our free training sessions!

How do I link my Midsummer Account to pull over my trade prices?

To link your Midsummer wholesale account, please follow this guide. 

If you do not yet have a Midsummer wholesale account, you can sign up here. 

Can I do a retrofit project in Easy PV?

Yes, to create a quote for a retrofit project:

1. Recreate the existing system in Easy PV with the new additions.
2. Set the price of all existing components to £0 in the financial task.

If you need to create custom components to recreate the existing system, you can use our detailed component guide. 

Can I do commercial or industrial designs in Easy PV?

Yes, you can use Easy PV for both commercial and domestic projects. Some features that will help with the accuracy and speed of commercial designs include:

• Automatic panel stringing 
• Choice of a range of commercial consumption profiles or upload your customer's meter data directly. 
• Support for setting export limits and viewing inverter and export clipping in charts.
  

More details on these features can be found in our performance and consumption task guides. 

Can I do a battery-only project?

At the moment, this is not yet a supported feature. However, if you would like to quote a battery only project in the format then you can create a project that has only the quote by following these steps:

1. Create quick roof project 
2. Skip through roof task (no need to change anything) 
3. Open financial task and fill in quote
   
4. Generate proposal 

This proposal will contain only the quote. 

Custom components

Can I add components that aren't listed on Easy PV?

Yes, for instructions on how to add different components, please read our full component upload guide. Note, you are not able to add custom optimisers or mounting systems due to the complexity of how these are integrated into the software. 

I added a battery in ‘My Components’ but it isn’t showing up as an option in the Inverter task.

When you add a battery component, you must ensure that you have checked the appropriate checkbox to set its compatibility with your custom inverter category or specific inverter

1. Create battery component 
2. Under battery rules select 'Selected inverter groups only' or 'Selected specific inverters only'
3. Click on the text to show the different inverters and select the check box under your relevant inverter group or inverter

If this does not resolve the issue or now too many the options are showing in red, you will need to look at the max battery capacity value in the Battery section of the hybrid inverter and compare this with the battery capacity of your custom battery. 

I added a hybrid inverter to ‘My Components’ but can’t add a battery to it in the Inverter Task.

If you are trying to use custom Hybrid Inverter and Battery components - you will need to make sure you have added the battery as its own component. You can do this under Components > Edit Batteries.

Make sure you select the checkbox under 'Rules' to set its compatibility with your custom inverter category!

I have added a new inverter in 'My Components', but I'm unable to allocate panels to its inputs. How do I fix this?

When you add an inverter and are having difficulty, you will need to navigate back to My Components and open the inverter you have added. Under the Solar section make sure you have added trackers, if you have not added them the Solar section will look like this: 

Check on the manufacturer’s datasheet to see how many trackers there are for the inverter. Click the Add tracker option in the solar section on the right and input the relevant information. Once this is filled in you will be able to allocate the panels to the input. 

I can’t allocate my panels to an inverter - all the options are red.

When all of the allocation options are red, Easy PV has determined the panel/inverter combination is not electrically viable. This means that the technical specifications of either the panels or the inverter are out of the range of the other.

Easy PV will outline any electrical issues in red text to make you aware of why it is not compatible. For a custom component this could mean one of the values you have input is incorrect so it may be worth reviewing the datasheet and cross referencing with our component upload guide.

GSE showing as not compatible with my panel but I've checked that is it compatible - why?

Open up the details for your custom panel and follow these steps 

1. Click the text 'Compatible with GSE'
2. In the drop down menu select 'half-frame'
   

Then the panel will be compatible with the GSE frames we have in Easy PV! 

Buildings, roof and panels task

Which design mode should I use?

Each design mode has benefits depending on the type of project or design you are working on, details on each can be found here. 

Does Magic design mode work in my area?

If you notice that Magic scanning isn't working for a customer's property, this is most likely because Google have not performed LIDAR scanning in your area yet. You can check the map on this link to see a rough representation of the areas where this has been done in orange: https://developers.google.com/maps/documentation/solar/coverage.

Magic design mode builds a 3D model of your customer's property, and surrounding buildings for you automatically. It does this by accessing 3D data gathered by Google with LIDAR scanning, stored on their Google Solar API. If you have seen Google Earth recently, you will have noticed this 3D data has also been used to create a 3D map of many cities around the world, as shown in the screenshot below.

LIDAR scanning is not done by satellites, but rather by aeroplanes, and as such its coverage is much less than the coverage of normal, 2D satellite imagery. Google plans to eventually expand the areas scanned in this way, but so far they have done a pretty good job of scanning the areas where most people live, i.e. urban centres.

Can I upload a CAD file or design PDF to use when doing a design?

At the moment, this is not yet a supported feature. However, our developers are hard at work and constantly adding new features!

How can I adjust roof measurements in the Roof task?

To see the roof dimensions, click on the corner of the roof.

This will show you the dimensions of the two adjoining sides. You can click on either of these figures to enter a new figure. It’s the same process for checking and adjusting the dimensions of chimneys, vents, etc.

Can I change the orientation of the panels on a flat roof?

Yes, you can. Horizontal and portrait panels will automatically be angled toward the “bottom” or “gutter line” of the roof whether flat or ground-mounted. In roof outline mode, the “bottom” of the roof is the first side you draw. In quick roof mode and 3D design mode, the “bottom” of the roof is based on how you set the orientation of the roof.

If you want to change the angle of the panels, you’ll need to change the orientation of the roof. For a standard flat roof, the panels will orient towards the yellow circle:

If you want to orient the panels another way on a flat roof you can use the irregular roof tool and the following steps:

Note that this option is only available when using the 3D design mode and will also change the direction of any obstructions on the roof. 

1. Select the 'Irregular building' option in Misc.
   
2. Set the roof type to flat by clicking on the roof and selecting from the mini-menu 

   

   
    and the pitch to 0 in the elevations view 

   

3. Size and reshape the roof to the necessary roof - if needed you can fix the angles of the corners by clicking on the corner and selecting the option highlighted in blue below. 
   

   

   
   

4. Drag the blue dot to direct the arrow, the arrow points in the direction of the panels. 
   

   

Then when you enter the panels task, the panels will face the direction specified: 

The roof type I want isn't an option, what do I choose?

The roof options on Easy PV are slate, concrete tile, plain tile, sheet metal, standing seam, fibre cement, flat and ground mount. 

If you need an option that isn't available, the choice you make here will depend on which mounting system you plan on using. You will need to work backwards and select whichever roof covering allows you to select the mounting you want. 

 

Performance and consumption task

The MCS self-consumption calculations in the Performance task don't work for my project - why?

The MCS calculations won’t work for projects with an annual generation greater than 6000 kWh or with battery storage over 15.1kWh. For these situations, we recommend using the Easy PV consumption task to generate accurate system projections and then ensure you select the Easy PV calculations on the financial task.

Where is section C, D and E of the performance report?

These sections are displayed in both the MCS performance report and the performance and battery pages of the customer proposal. You can find the performance report from the 'forms' drop-down or by clicking the three dots in the top corner of the performance task. 

Easy PV will only show these sections in the MCS performance report if the MCS self-consumption calculation has been completed. The MCS method can only be completed if the generation is less than 6000kWh, the consumption is between 1500-6000kWh and the usable battery capacity is less than 15.1kWh. An alternative method is offered in the consumption task.

As long as the Easy PV or MCS method is selected in the financial task, the equivalent to section C and D (if there is a battery) can be found in the bottom left corner of the performance and battery storage pages of the Customer Proposal. 

Structural task

Why won't the structural calculations work for my project?

Not all combinations of roof material types and mounting systems have structural calculations in Easy PV since the calculations are based on information provided by MCS in MIS 3002. If you are unable to complete structural calculations in Easy PV you will need to get in touch with a structural engineer.

Financial task

Why are there two consumption figures to choose from in the financial task?

If you have completed both the MCS self-consumption calculation (end of the performance task) and the Easy PV consumption calculation (consumption task) in the project, both figures will appear as options when you open the Financial Task in Easy PV.

Both are acceptable methods for calculating the self-consumption, you are free to choose either calculation.

Why do some of the financial savings appear to be different on the Customer Proposal and Easy PV Project Report?

Easy PV uses two different methods of calculating financial savings.

1) We do a basic calculation to work out a headline year one/first year saving figure that can be used on proposal summaries, etc. This calculation doesn’t take into account inflation or degradation rate.

2) We calculate a financial forecast showing payback for a longer period (25 years by default). This takes into account inflation, degradation, and discount rates. In the first year, we apply half the % values for each of these rates rather than the full % value. If you're wondering why we use half the % values for the first year, please see below for an explanation. 

Further information

When you pay for a PV install you do so in a lump sum on day 0. You then start getting savings and export income from it. But by the end of the first year, monetary values have risen by inflation. So if you were saving £100 / month for electricity on day 0, by the end of the year - day 365 - you are saving £104 / month if the inflation rate is 4%.

When working out the savings for year 1 therefore, we need to work out the average for the year. If savings were £100/month at the beginning, and £104/month at the end the average is £102/month. So for that first year, we use half the inflation value to work out the average savings.

For year two, we again need to use the average value of money over the course of the year. This will have increased by the value of inflation from the value that we used for year one. Basically we are comparing the value of money at 6 months to the value at 18 months. So £102 for year one becomes £106.08 (£102 * 1.04) if the inflation rate is 4%.

It's exactly the same with degradation. On day zero the panels are generating at 100%. By day 365 they have degraded slightly. With degradation of 1% a year we would expect them to be at 99% capacity. The expected average generation for the year is halfway between those two values, so we use 99.5% for year one rather than 99%.

The payback period is too long, how can I fix this?

There are a few things that can help with the payback period. The payback period is calculated by weighing up the cumulative benefits of the system against the cumulative costs. Therefore, to improve the payback period, you either need to reduce costs or increase the benefits, there are a few ways to do this:

• Check tariffs are correct: tariffs are input into Easy PV in p/kWh, not £/kWh, so make sure your tariffs are in the correct units. 
• Add export tariff: navigate to the financial task, select the pen icon in the top right, under self-consumption, you can edit the import tariff (electricity costs for your customer). You can also specify the export tariff in this section for excess energy that is sold to the grid.  
• Add batteries: this will increase the initial investment required but will allow the customer to store energy produced from peak times in the day to be used later which will reduce their grid dependence so reduces their cumulative costs. 
• Factor in off-peak charging: if your system has a battery, you can estimate the benefits of off-peak charging and add this as an 'additional saving' in the financial task. 

Further information on tariffs can be found in our tariffs guide. 

Can I include VAT on the proposal?

Yes, you can do so by following these steps:

1. Navigate to the Financial task
2. Click the pen in the top right corner
3. Then under Tax settings you can set a rate for materials and services, and include whether the customer can claim this tax back.
   

   

   
   

Customer proposal

My customer proposoal isn't loading - why?

If your report isn't loading, it's likely because Easy PV is missing some information it needs to generate it. 

Usually blank proposal are caused by issues with the performance task. Navigate to the task, and see if there are any errors (they may say 'undefined' or 'NaN’) on the table. If there are, you should be able to work out what needs to be corrected. For example if the postcode zone row has an error, you know you need to change the postcode.

If you go to the performance task and there are no errors, then we suggested contacting us on help@easy-pv.co.uk.

How do I attach my logo/branding to the customer proposal or Easy PV project report?

To attach your Logo to the Easy PV Project Report navigate to My Account in the top right of the Easy PV home page and click on Preferences. Once in this menu, scroll down to the Company Logo section and click on the current logo image. You can then upload an image from your computer.

Please note that the logo will only appear on the quote page of the customer proposal report. Further customisation of the customer proposal is available with Easy PV Pro, get in touch with us at help@easy-pv.co.uk if you're interested in a free trial! 

How do I hide line prices in the customer proposal?

Select Customer Proposal from the Tasks drop-down menu. In the section titled Quotation you can change the pricing to:

• Show line items,
• Show equipment and services subtotals, 
• Only show total.

I’ve done a 3D design, can I include the 3D preview in the customer proposal document?

Yes, select Customer Proposal from the Tasks drop-down menu. In the bottom section titled Overview images you can select the 3D viewpoint you would like to show on the proposal. 

Note if you change the 3D design or panel layout in your project after generating the 3D image you’ll need to come back to this task and regenerate the image to be used in your proposal.