With the new PV*SOL 2017 electric cars can now be included in the design of a PV plant

Berlin-based Valentin Software GmbH has updated its software for designing photovoltaic plants to include new features. The new version of the PV*SOL premium and PV*SOL software now makes it possible to take electric cars into consideration when calculating your own consumption.

In the new version, Valentin Software has integrated additional, flexible electricity tariff models. The new software enables the calculation of the P90 value as well. The P90 states that there is a 90% probability that the simulated average annual energy yield will be exceeded, and is a particularly important factor for investors. The new software version is available as of October 17.

Electric cars can increase profitability

“While there is now a greater general debate about electric cars, end customers are still asking if they pay off“, says Steffen Lindemann, managing director of Valentin Software GmbH. “Combining an electric car with a solar unit can be a sensible solution, but that depends on a large number of parameters. PV*SOL takes these parameters into account and thus helps the plant designer to make a soundly based prediction about it“, is how Lindemann describes the motivation to expand PV*SOL to include electric cars.

In the new version the user can select their electric car from the database. They then enter their daily mileage, and PV*SOL calculates how much PV energy can be used to charge the car. The software also calculates the cost per 100 kilometers, with and without the use of photovoltaics.

Additional tariff models guarantee flexibility

Another important feature of the new version of PV*SOL premium and PV*SOL are the expanded electricity tariff models. In future, system designers can take high and low tariffs (HT/LT) into account when designing plants. This function is especially interesting in countries where HT/LT, net metering and time of use tariffs are widespread.