Create and manage your own components

Below, you'll find full instructions on how to add and manage each type of component in Easy PV.

Note that Easy PV does not support adding custom optimisers or mounting systems. To use custom mounting, you will need to select no mounting in the panels task and add the mounting to the financial task, but it will not be included in any calculations or designs Easy PV generates.

Custom solar panels
Custom inverters
Custom battery
Custom accessories and other components

Custom solar panels

This guide applies to the easy-pv.co.uk and beta.easy-pv.ie versions of Easy PV. The information provided here may not be accurate for easy-pv.com and easy.pv.ie.

To add a custom panel in Easy PV navigate to My Components > Solar Panels on the left-side menu or Components > Edit Solar Panels from the top drop down menu.

You will need the datasheet from the manufacturer so Easy PV can appropriately perform calculations for inverter sizing and system output. Below you will find guidance on how the information in the datasheet corresponds to the values Easy PV asks for.

Creating manufacturer

When adding any custom panel in Easy PV you first need to add a custom manufacturer category which allows you to organise your custom components. The components added will be categorised by their manufacturer when it comes to select them in a project.

After inputting the name for the manufacturer, re-open your custom manufacturer and you will see the additional option to add a solar panel.

Inputting information from datasheet

You will then need to input the technical information found in the datasheet for the panel. This is a list of potential variations for each value required to add a custom panel:

Technical info	Variations
Power: power of the panel at STC in Watts	Peak Power Watts Maximum Power Pmax Power at MPP
I_sc: short circuit current of the panel at STC in A	Short Circuit Current Short Circuit Current Isc
I_mpp: maximum power point current of the panel at STC in A	Maximum Power Current Current at MPP
ΔI_sc/°C: the temperature coefficient of the panel short circuit current	Temperature Coefficient of I_sc
V_oc: open circuit voltage of the panel at STC	Open Circuit Voltage
V_mpp: maximum power point voltage of the panel at STC	Maximum Power Voltage Voltage at MPP
ΔV_oc/°C: temperature coefficient of the open circuit voltage of the panel	Temperature Coefficient of V_oc

The panel will auto-save once all the required fields are completed. Once you have added a panel successfully, you’ll be able to select it in the list of panels when creating a new project in the panels task, listed under your custom manufacturer name.

Additional details and rules

The photo and description for the panels will show up on your final customer proposal, to edit the image of the custom manufacturer or component, click on the default image and upload from your files.
There is a set of rules which you can select or deselect as you need, these are the default settings for new panels:

Custom inverters

This guide applies to the easy-pv.co.uk and beta.easy-pv.ie versions of Easy PV. The information provided here may not be accurate for easy-pv.com and easy.pv.ie.

To add a custom inverter in Easy PV navigate to My Components > Inverters on the left-side menu or Components > Edit Inverters from the top drop down menu.

You will need the datasheet from the manufacturer so Easy PV can appropriately perform calculations for inverter and battery sizing and system output. Below you will find guidance on how the information in the datasheet corresponds to the values Easy PV asks for.

Creating manufacturer

To add an inverter, first add a new inverter manufacturer category and then specify the type of inverter you are adding from the drop-down menu. If you would like to add additional inverters that are of a different type, then you must create a new manufacturer category.

After inputting the name and type for the manufacturer, re-open your custom manufacturer and you will see the additional option to add an inverter.

Inputting information from datasheet

Below is a list of definitions and the potential variations for each value on different manufacturer datasheets for each section for PV, hybrid and AC-coupled inverters.

AC output

As well as whether it is a single phase or three phase inverter, other than max power for AC inverters, all inverter types you will need to input the following information:

Technical info	Variations
Max current: maximum AC current in Amps that the inverter can output	Max output current Max AC current
Max power: maximum AC power output in Watts of the inverter	Max recommended PV power Max AC apparent power Max apparent AC power Nominal AC power Rated output power
Power factor	This is 1 unless stated otherwise

Solar

For PV and Hybrid inverters you will also need to input information for the solar input:

After inputting the name, max current and max power the inverter will save and close, remember to re-open it and click Add tracker (under Solar on the right) for each MPPT input the inverter has. If the trackers are the same then you can simply click the copy icon next to the bin icon.

Technical info	Variations
Tracker, V_mpp range: the range of V_mppvalues (maximum power point voltage of the panels at STC) compatible with this inverter	MPP voltage range Operating voltage range MPPT range
Tracker, Max V_oc: maximum open circuit voltage	Max DC voltage Max input voltage Max DC input power
Max I: maximum current	Max input current per MPP tracker Max input current

Battery

For hybrid and AC-coupled inverters you will also need to input battery compatibility information:

Technical info	Variations
Max Charge Rate: the maximum power at which the inverter can charge a battery	Max charge power
Max Discharge Rate: the maximum power that the inverter can draw from a battery	Max discharge power Often the same as the maximum charge rate
Charge Efficiency: the efficiency of the charge process	Datasheets may have several values; ‘Euro’ efficiency
Discharge Efficiency: the efficiency of the discharge process.	Battery discharge If no separate value is given on the datasheet, use the same value as for charge efficiency
Min Battery Capacity	The capacity of the smallest battery bank that should be used with this inverter
Max Battery Capacity	The capacity of the largest battery bank that should be used with this inverter
Max Discharge Depth: the maximum depth to which the inverter will discharge an attached battery	If no figure is given in the datasheet, use 100%
Max Batteries: maximum number of batteries that can be connected	Leave blank if there is no maximum

Custom battery

This guide applies to the easy-pv.co.uk and beta.easy-pv.ie versions of Easy PV. The information provided here may not be accurate for easy-pv.com and easy.pv.ie.

To add a custom battery in Easy PV navigate to My Components > Batteries on the left-side menu or Components > Edit Batteries from the top drop down menu.

You will need the datasheet from the manufacturer, below you will find guidance on how the information in the datasheet corresponds to the values Easy PV asks for.

If your custom battery is not showing up in the inverter task, see the 'Additional details' section and check the compatibility is correct.

Inputting information from datasheet

Below is a list of definitions and potential variations for each value on different manufacturer data sheets:

Technical info	Variations
Battery Capacity: total battery capacity. Usable capacity may be less if there is a max permitted discharge depth.	Battery module energy Battery system capacity
Max Discharge: maximum depth to which the manufacturer recommends that this battery is discharged. Typically 80 or 90%.	Depth of discharge
Round Trip Efficiency: percentage of electricity recovered from the battery in a charge-discharge cycle. Around 95% is typical for lithium ion batteries.	Peak round-trip efficiency

The battery will auto-save once all the required fields are completed.

Additional details

Notice you can select a variety of rules for the battery. Some key points:

It is important you select which inverter groups or which specific inverters the battery is compatible with - either by checking 'Selected inverter groups only' or 'Selected specific inverts only' and selecting from the menu which inverters it is compatible with.
If your hybrid inverter is an all-in-one system and you would like it to appear in one line in the quote then make sure to input the price in the inverter and then select 'exclude from shopping cart' in the battery rules - this means it will only include and list the cost of the inverter and not the batteries. Note that this will mean additional batteries will not be priced if more than one battery can be included.

Custom accessories and other components

This guide applies to the easy-pv.co.uk and beta.easy-pv.ie versions of Easy PV. The information provided here may not be accurate for easy-pv.com and easy.pv.ie.

In Easy PV you can also add custom AC isolators, DC isolators, meters and additional accessories. Each of these will be available to select in the electrical task, with accessories in the Extras section of the electrical task.

These are largely more straight forward than other components in Easy PV. However, when adding a custom accessory, there are many different rules you can select. To determine what each rule changes, select the rule and a window will appear which details what the rule will change about how the component can be used.