Previous releases

SolarFarmer Knowledge Centre Downloads Previous releases

SolarFarmer 1.4

Desktop application – updates

• Import/Export:
  • Import trackers from PVCollada (.pvc) files (docs)
  • Import racks from Shapefiles, Google Earth files, and PVCollada files (.shp, .kml, .kmz., and .pvc) (docs)
  • Export racks and trackers to PVCollada (.pvc) files (docs)
• 'SolarAnywhere Format' solar resource file import added
• 55-cell module PAN files now supported
• Change some tracker/rack system properties even when in use
• Separate north and south slope thresholds when generating slope-based exclusions (docs)
• Create 3 new 3D model types (wind turbines, conical trees, and oval trees) (docs)
• Additional scripting methods available
• Bug fixes

API calculation – updates

There were no updates to the API and website with this release. Just the desktop application.
API v3 (15 January 2024) remains the latest API version.

Documentation additions

• Explanations added to explain the differences between the algorithms used for tracking, backtracking, and slope-aware backtracking (docs)
• The different horizon file conventions SolarFarmer supports (docs)

SolarFarmer 1.3

Desktop application - updates

• New Import dialog:
  • Import trackers (docs)
  • Import layout and exclusion regions (docs)
  • Use polygons to assign inverters and strings (docs)
• Beam shading from shading obstacles for trackers (in the 3D local calculation)
• 'Shading objects' task screen refresh:
  • Add boxes and cylinders as 3D models (docs)
  • Add parapets to buildings (docs)
• 'NREL SAM CSV' solar resource import added
• Additional scripting methods available
• Bug fixes

API calculation – updates

There were no updates to the API and website with this release. Just the desktop application.
API v3 (15 January 2024) remains the latest API version.

Documentation additions

• A new Step-by-step tutorials landing page
• A new Occitaine tutorial added - workflow for importing parcel and tracker layouts.
• Improving SolarFarmer Performance

SolarFarmer 1.2.1

This hotfix release fixed an issue preventing application start-up on the leap year day 29th February. Now that this date has passed, this hotfix is no longer required.

SolarFarmer 1.2

Desktop application – updates

• Add layout regions onto flat buildings (docs)
• Solcast weather service API support added (docs)
• 'PVsyst standard format' and 'Solcast CSV' solar resource import file formats added (docs)
• Cross-row stringing support added (docs)
• Effects diagram improvements (including better bifacial definitions) (docs)
• Additional scripting methods available
• Bug fixes

API calculation – updates

• Option to define Module Quality Factor per Layout
• Bifacial reporting results update
• PVsyst-format result columns updated (docs)
• 'PVsyst standard format' met data now supported (docs)
• Validation functionality added for 3D sites over 50MW

API calculation – bug fixes

• Limit of scaling of irradiance for time periods including sunrise/sunset
• OND files with starting efficiency curve as 0 are not parsed correctly
• AC power drops below zero for cases with very low DC power
• Missing data value (9999) fails when given with decimal numbers
• Limiting sky diffuse component due to circumsolar irradiance in Perez model to zero. Potential edge case during sunrise/sunset time steps with very low solar angles

API calculation – breaking changes

• No breaking class changes
• The extended validation rules may fail invalid inputs that were previously working

Documentation additions

• A new 'Nevada Prospecting' tutorial has been added to help newer users familiar with using SolarFarmer.

SolarFarmer 1.1

Desktop application – updates

• Specify Site Layout tool redesign (docs)
• Create workbooks from API JSON files (docs)
• Check for desktop updates automatically
• Add albedo column from met data (docs)
• Elevation profile tool shows hovered point
• PV technology band-gaps updated (docs)
• Rename 'Emulate PVsyst' check box
• Bug fixes

API calculation – updates

• API versioning introduced (docs)
• Albedo as column in met data (docs)
• PV technology band-gaps updated (docs)
• Scaling/queuing for 2D API
• Extended API validation functionality (docs)

API calculation – bug fixes

• Incorrect scaling of irradiance in sunrise/sunset in DetailedTimeSeries results
• Setting soiling loss to 100% causes issues
• Lower validation range for Altitude needs lowering
• RackHeight upper validation is too small
• Temperature missing doesn't skip timestamp and crashes
• Missing data values, 9999 and -9999 both acceptable for missing data
• OutOfMemoryExceptions sometimes thrown for 3D API calculations
• Layout with monofacial and bifacial fails - validation rule now added
• SolveDiodeEquation: Failed to converge when searching for MPP
• Beam shading not calculated as expected in 3D for trackers (was an issue with the desktop app)

API calculation – breaking changes

• No breaking class changes
• The extended validation rules may fail invalid inputs that were previously working

SolarFarmer 1.0.240.0

Desktop application – updates

• Labels for layout and exclusion regions added
• Layout region statistics table added (docs)
• Snap inverter blocks to row lines and each other (docs)
• Addition of Fresnel coefficients for IAM (docs)
• Support for modules with HIT (Heterojunction Intrinsic Thin film)
• Bug fixes

API calculation – updates

• Improved validation functionality for the API
• For the ModelChain and ModelChainAsync endpoints
  • A ProblemDetails object returned containing any validation errors (docs)
  • WARNING: Invalid inputs that were previously working may now fail. So please check!
• POA-only solar records now supported in TSV file (docs)
• Up to 50 PAN and OND files supported with each calculation
• Option to use Fresnel coefficients for incidence angle (docs)

API calculation – bug fixes

• Positive bias of backside irradiance compared to measured data
• Inverter losses for maximum power show discrepancies in PVsyst-format output
• Incorrect scaling of irradiance for time periods including sunrise/sunset
• .tsv solar files used with API need a lower-case extension

API calculation – breaking changes

• The deprecated bifacial properties in the Layout class (TransmissionFactor, BifacialShadeLossFactor, and BifacialMismatchLossFactor) have finally been removed. Use the equivalents in the MountingTypeSpecification class instead.
• The new validation that is run on the inputs to the ModelChain and ModelChainAsync endpoints may fail invalid inputs that were previously working

Documentation additions

• SolarFarmer Papers and Presentations
• Added tracker example files to the ModelChainAsync Endpoint Tutorial
• Added Detailed Time-Series Results File for "TimeSeriesResult.tsv" in Cloud Results
• Updated TSV File details for the web API, especially date time format

SolarFarmer 1.0.234.0

Desktop application – updates

• Import layout and exclusion regions from Google Earth files (docs)
• Calculate exclusion regions from slopes (docs)
• Improved exclusion region support (docs)
• Added support for version 5.2 of PVGIS API download (docs)
• Thin-film modules with trackers now supported in local calculation
• Bug fixes

API and website – updates

• Added support for shading objects in 3D API
• Added support for POA-only solar resource data in API
• Bug fixes

Documentation additions

• Importing/Export Data - what data you can currently import/export with SolarFarmer
• Calculation Feature Comparison - the differences between 2D/3D local/cloud calculations

SolarFarmer 1.0.229.0

3D Energy Calculation API now available for Private Preview

This version includes our first external release of the 3D API yield calculation offering: Run time speed up, runs with fixed-tilt or trackers, and it includes bifacial (albeit using the 2D algorithm for the backside).

The 3D API is available on a Private Preview basis to existing customers who want to road test the API whilst we continue to work on API management and scalability. There are also a few caveats; not all features are immediately available in this first release. See the full Release Notes for the details.

Whilst in Private Preview the 3D API is available at no additional charge, although we are currently limiting maximum project size to 50MW and we are running on a relatively small cloud cluster – which means that you may experience resource contention at busy times.

Full scale up of the API infrastructure is happening over the next couple of months but if you want to get ahead and you are willing to help us with road testing then please request access by clicking this link: Register for 3D API private preview

Desktop application

• Scripting enhancements
• Specify Site Layout tool improvements
• Bug fixes

API and website

• Security updates
• Calculation improvements
• New endpoints (ModelChainAsync and TerminateModelChainAsync)
• Website improvements (filter and paginate the runs page)
• Bug fixes

SolarFarmer 1.0.225.0

The 3D API is almost ready, but not quite for this release.

New background imagery provider

Our previous background imagery provider withdrew their API support so it has been very unreliable for the last few weeks. We are now using the Bing Maps API to download background imagery. There are 3 layers available: Aerial Imagery, Aerial Imagery with labels, and Roads.

Improved speed of 3D local tracker calculations

A bug has been fixed that used to cause tracker site layouts with multiple layout regions taking much longer to complete when running in 3D locally. The calculations should complete much quicker now.

Other changes

See release notes for other changes and bug fixes.

SolarFarmer 1.0.223.0

This release includes a fix for the "Global Mapper" error seen when starting up the SolarFarmer desktop application and some actions within the software (e.g. choosing a projection system for new sites, importing and downloading imagery and terrain).

The problem started on 30 March 2022, affected only the 1.0.222.0 release of the desktop software (the API was not affected), and was to do with a licensing system issue on a third party component, which has now been rectified with this release.

SolarFarmer 1.0.222.0

IMPORTANT:

This release is no longer available for download due to a licensing error with one of our third-party components. Please download version 1.0.223.0 instead.

We have been working hard on the 3D API but it is not quite ready yet. Thank you for your patience.

This release is minor improvements and bug fixes.

Various improvements

• Support for 6x11 silicon module specifications (both full and half-cell modules)
• Allow user to choose to store inputs and outputs online
• Provide system attributes file from cloud calculations
• More groundwork for 3D API

Other changes

See release notes for other changes and bug fixes.

SolarFarmer 1.0.212.0

SolarFarmer web service improvements

2D simulations in the cloud is now the default for 2D calculations (you can still run them locally). Speed improvements and bug fixes.

See SolarFarmer Web Service for details of how to retrieve your API key and get started with using the cloud. Development on 3D calculations in the cloud is ongoing. Should be ready in the next release.

Support slopes in 2D simulations on the cloud. No longer fixed to be horizontal only.

Other changes

See release notes for other changes and bug fixes.

Older Releases

Release notes for older releases are available here.