Sighten‘s solar energy system production model incorporates key aspects of the industry’s most sophisticated models while maintaining simplicity of user inputs. This document summarizes Sighten’s solar production modeling capabilities, which includes an internal production calculator (based on the PVsyst 5 parameter model) and an integration with the PVWatts v6 API.
Sighten
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Production Model Highlights
Simple Inputsinputs: simple and non-assumptive user inputs required - module and inverter quantities/models, pitch, azimuth, soiling, and shading
Hourly production profile: hourly production calculations with granular weather data
- NREL validated remote shading: with the Project Sunroof integration, Sighten's automated shading tool provides instant shading data for an array within 2% accuracy
Equipment-specific calculations: module and inverter-level electrical behavior modeled based on the equipment used
Production methodology: organizations can choose their production methodology in Sighten’s tool at an organization-specific level. A change to the selected production methodology will impact all new systems. Existing systems will continue to use the production methodology selected when they were designed.
Production override: using either methodology, the tool also supports an annual production override. This scales the hourly production based on the overridden amount.
Financier derate and degradation: the system production can be modified with an annual degradation assumption at an organization and financing product-specific level. For homeowner agreements, an annual degradation percent can also be set at a product-specific level for financier expected production and financier guaranteed production. A derate on the yearly production can also be set on a product-specific level for financier guaranteed production.
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Sighten offers several modeling improvements over PVWatts. For example, Sighten's model takes into account shade recovery from optimizers and microinverters, unlike PVWatts. Differences in methodology are listed below.
Component | Sighten | PVWatts |
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Weather data | NREL TMY Stations | NREL TMY Stations |
Shading | SAM2 shading model | User input |
Module production | DeSoto 5-parameter | User input |
Inverter efficiency | SAM CEC Efficiency | User input |
Sighten Production Calculation
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