Simplifying and automating large-scale solar design – GWC Mag

Utility-scale solar projects are consistently breaking capacity records annually, both in individual project size and overall countrywide output. The sheer scale of these acres and sometimes miles long arrays require an unprecedented amount of worktime to construct, and even before a pile is driven into the dirt, project engineers must spend time designing these systems. PVcase, a software as a service company founded by solar engineers, has for the last decade provided design services for utility-scale solar project globally. David Trainavicius, founder and CEO of PVcase, is on this episode of Solar Spotlight to discuss how the platform is helping solar developers automate processes and reduce work hours, and ultimately reduce data risk created as data is shared across the dozens of stakeholders and platforms involved in the development of a utility scale solar project. .

A written portion of this podcast is below but be sure to listen to the full episode on your preferred podcast service.

SPW: What problem does PVcase solve in the solar market?

DT: When you say problem, I would think maybe several problems altogether. So, we’ve been seeing this for the past 10 years now that there’s a lack of trained professionals in the industry. Although, solar is becoming quite a fashionable and popular area to study and then start work. But with the solar growth, globally, it’s just still not enough. The second one would be a lack of automation tools. For my career in solar, I was always thinking how engineering can change this industry and how automation can change this industry, and how we can move faster, because, No. 1, lack of talent. So, I think tools can solve that — slightly. And then the third one would be all those tools in the market are so separated from each other. There’s no one tool that connects them all, and I think that’s the big challenge that we’re trying to solve.

SPW: What is PVcase and how does it solve the problems you just described?

DT: We started this flagship product that is a utility scale design tool used by solar engineers, and we’ve been working with our clients to develop that product in a really detailed way in the past five, six years now. Now we are changing that a bit and becoming a bit more of a platform, where we can start with GIS (geographic information system) tool first to find sites, select sites and then move to the design process.

SPW: Who do you sell to and what problems do you solve for those clients? 

The first group would be developers that are looking for sites to develop solar assets on. So, they are looking for suitable sites, selecting them and then moving to the engineering phase. The second client base would be EPCs, our engineering, procurement and construction companies, together with engineering consultants, that develops those utility scale power plants.

SPW: How and when did you know PVcase was fit to enter the market?

DT: When we started developing PVcase, it was at the consultancy I was running. Initially it was the design tool for internal use. We used it for real projects globally. Then we got so many requests from our clients asking what type of software solutions we were using, and they asked to sell that solution for them. So, it was the natural path to do a spinoff from the consultancy. And this how PVcase was born.

This podcast is sponsored by PVcase