Generation

Solar Electric

HEScore allows for a single photovoltaic system to be included as of v2016. In HPXML, multiple PVSystem elements can be specified to represent the PV systems on the house. The translator combines multiple systems and generates the appropriate HEScore inputs as follows:

Capacity Known

If each PVSystem has a MaxPowerOutput, this is true. If each PVSystem has a NumberOfPanels or if each has CollectorArea, this is false. Preference is given to known capacity if available. Either a MaxPowerOutput must be specified for every PVSystem or CollectorArea must be specified for every PVSystem.

DC Capacity

If each PVSystem has a MaxPowerOutput, the system capacity is known. The system_capacity in HEScore is calculated by summing all the MaxPowerOutput elements in HPXML.

Number of Panels

If MaxPowerOutput is missing from any PVSystem, the translator will check to see if every system has NumberOfPanels and calculate the total number of panels.

If NumberOfPanels isn’t available on every system, the translator will look for CollectorArea on every PVSystem. The number of panels is calculated by summing all the collector area, dividing by 17.6 sq.ft., and rounding to the nearest whole number.

Weighted Averages

The below quantities are calculated using weighted averages. The weights used are in priority order:

  • MaxPowerOutput
  • NumberOfPanels
  • CollectorArea

Which is the same data elements used to determine the PV sizing inputs above.

Year Installed

For each PVSystem the YearInverterManufactured and YearModulesManufactured element values are retrieved, and the greater of the two is assumed to be the year that system was installed. When there are multiple PVSystem elements, a weighted average is calculated and used.

Panel Orientation (Azimuth)

For each PVSystem the ArrayAzimuth (degrees clockwise from north) is retrieved. If ArrayAzimuth is not available, ArrayOrientation (north, northwest, etc) is converted into an azimuth. A weighted average azimuth is calculated and converted into the nearest cardinal direction (north, northwest, etc) for submission into the array_azimuth HEScore input (which expects a direction, not a numeric azimuth).

Panel Tilt

For each PVSystem the ArrayTilt (in degrees from horizontal) is retrieved. A weighted average tilt is calculated and submitted to the array_tilt HEScore input (which expects an enumeration, not a numeric tilt). The tilt is mapped to HEScore as follows:

Tilt mapping
HPXML HEScore
0 - 7° flat
8 - 22° low_slope
23 - 37° medium_slope
38 - 90° steep_slope