Originally posted by badutahboy
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Do you know that PVWatts has an hourly output option ?
Do you know that NREL has a lot of free software for calculating solar orientation and angles, as well as a boatload of other stuff. ?
Do you know how to use a protractor ?
Do you know how to find true south ?
Do you know anything about Excel ?
If the answer to all of those is yes, or can become yes, you've more than enough capability to help your intuition perform a basic shade analysis and get a pretty fair idea of whether or not a more (but not that much more IMO) sophisticated analysis is warranted.
I've done the above several times. I've also used the solar pathfinder. I found the results and output adequately similar using either method.
I'd respectfully suggest that for anyone considering setting themselves up as a solar consultant, the manual method described above would be a cake walk, or ought to be, and/or maybe at least a part of proof testing one's solar knowledge.
As for SAM requiring a PHD, I kind of doubt it. About the only requirements for success with SAM that I see are some understanding of what the solar resource is, some knowledge of how to read PV panel and inverter data sheets and understanding of what the terms in those data sheets represent, some, but probably not a lot of basic engineering knowledge, and the patience to learn. I'd also suggest those are attributes necessary, besides and in addition to any legal requirements, for someone to claim to be a solar consultant.
FWIW, The help function in SAM can be a pretty fair education tool all on its own.
IMO, you still have the cart before the horse in the skills vs. goals dept. Most of this solar energy business is not rocket science, but it does take something of a learning curve.
Take what you want of the above. Scrap the rest.
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