# Manual panel allocation
Panels can be manually allocated in the [Performance task](https://help.easy-pv.co.uk/books/performance-and-consumption/page/performance-task "Performance task"). Whether a project requires manual allocation depends on it's complexity, it's size and whether the system is optimised. After a system has been automatically allocated, you may also wish to make edits to the string arrangement.
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## Manual panel allocation
To open up the manual panel allocation, follow these steps:
1. Open the Performance task
2. Click `Edit inputs` in the top right
3. Select the **`Panel allocation`** tab
4. Then click **`Edit allocation`** or `Allocate panels` in the bottom left
The steps to manually allocate panels panels is slightly different depending on whether the panels are optimised or not. All panels connected to an input must be within a certain **pitch and orientation threshold** and panels incompatible with the selected string will not be selectable. In this case the panels may need to be **optimised** or the **stringing arrangement** in the [Inverter task](https://help.easy-pv.co.uk/books/panels-inverter-and-electrical/page/inverter-task "Inverter task") adjusted.
### Non-optimised systems
1. Select inverter input and the roof you'd like to allocate from the list on the left
2. Click or drag over panels to allocate them to an inverter input
3. Repeat steps 1-2 on the next inverter input or roof until all panels are allocated. All inputs will be in green and a tick will show at the top of the page
4. Below all your inverters and roofs, you can then click `Next` to continue with the Performance task
### **Optimised systems**
Were optimisers are required (panels are on the same string but different pitch or orientation) Easy PV will not let you allocate them on the same string. You must instead sub-divide the string into shading groups. These steps are outlined below:
1. Select inverter input and the roof you'd like to allocate from the list on the left
2. Click or drag over panels to allocate them to an inverter input
3. If you are allocating panels to the same MPPT on a different roof click **`Add group +`** to sub-divide the input into shading groups and then select the roof and allocate the panels
4. Repeat step 3 on the next inverter input, shading group or roof until all panels are allocated. All inputs will be in green and a tick will show at the top of the page
5. Below all your inverters and roofs, you can then click `Next` to continue with the Performance task
**Tip**: If you are including optimisers to mitigate the impact of shading, you do not need to put each individual panel into a shading group. To best model the output of the system, group panels that will get *similar levels of shade.*
❓FAQ: Why has the generation not changed after adding optimisers?
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