Any free tools for making PV system schematics?

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stereoman405
stereoman405 Solar Expert Posts: 56 ✭✭✭✭
in General Solar Power Topics #1
I'm trying to find some solar related stencils for VISIO since that's what I'm familiar with, but I'm wondering if there any good free tools out there to lay out a basic wiring diagram. I'd like to be able to include panels, inverters, breakers, battereis, etc with "standard" symbols.

Thanks.
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  • mike95490
    mike95490 Solar Expert Posts: 9,583 ✭✭✭✭✭
    #2
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    Re: Any free tools for making PV system schematics?

    The link in my .sig, one of the photos is of my system, and that's all in visio, but most is just "boxes" not well constructed symbols.

    PM me if you want a copy later tonight.
    Powerfab top of pole PV mount | Listeroid 6/1 w/st5 gen head | XW6048 inverter/chgr | Iota 48V/15A charger | Morningstar 60A MPPT | 48V, 800A NiFe Battery (in series)| 15, Evergreen 205w "12V" PV array on pole | Midnight ePanel | Grundfos 10 SO5-9 with 3 wire Franklin Electric motor (1/2hp 240V 1ph ) on a timer for 3 hr noontime run - Runs off PV ||
    || Midnight Classic 200 | 10, Evergreen 200w in a 160VOC array ||
    || VEC1093 12V Charger | Maha C401 aa/aaa Charger | SureSine | Sunsaver MPPT 15A

    solar: http://tinyurl.com/LMR-Solar
    gen: http://tinyurl.com/LMR-Lister ,

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  • newenergy
    newenergy Solar Expert Posts: 291 ✭✭✭✭✭✭
    #3
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    Re: Any free tools for making PV system schematics?

    I use paint because I made up a template for it and didn't want to get Visio (cause I'm cheap and don't really like MS), but I see OpenOffice Draw is pretty easy to use. Next single line I have to do I'll make up a template for Draw.
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  • BB.
    BB. Super Moderators, Administrators Posts: 33,439 admin
    #4
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    Re: Any free tools for making PV system schematics?

    www.openoffice.org

    I use it with XP, Vista, and Windows 7...

    Seems to work OK--but school age kids seem to find new and marvelous ways of causing grief (just a few minutes ago where my youngest just renamed a directory name of "work for my teacher!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

    Turns out, crashes Open Office Writer HARD with no error messages when you attempt to open a file. :roll::cool:

    Let's see if this post will crash vBulletin® Version 3.8.4 too... :D

    -Bill ":confused:" B.
    Near San Francisco California: 3.5kWatt Grid Tied Solar power system+small backup genset
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  • Sam Jankis
    Sam Jankis Registered Users Posts: 4
    #5
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    Re: Any free tools for making PV system schematics?

    Try this one: www.skelion.net

    It is a very cool plugin for Google SketchUp... it allows you to insert solar panels on surfaces automatically. Preatty easy to do system layouts and production estimates.
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  • BB.
    BB. Super Moderators, Administrators Posts: 33,439 admin
    #6
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    Re: Any free tools for making PV system schematics?

    Sam,

    We are a small enough board that one post is generally enough. Please refrain from doing anymore.

    I appreciate that a schematic capture type tool for Google SketchUp can be a big help for many people out there (I used to spend thousands of dollars on dedicated computer systems and PC licenses a couple decades ago).

    And I invite anyone that wants to try skelion to post a review in one of these threads. :roll:

    -Bill B. Moderator
    Near San Francisco California: 3.5kWatt Grid Tied Solar power system+small backup genset
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  • Sam Jankis
    Sam Jankis Registered Users Posts: 4
    #7
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    Re: Any free tools for making PV system schematics?

    Hi Bil,

    Sorry, my intention was to help. Skelion has the 80% of its features for free and it is easy to use.
    So If you want to do quick sketches, it is very useful. But if you want to do single line kind of sketches I definitely would go with AutoCAD.
    You can see here the kind of sketches I am talking about: http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=k_tFwL_h-NE

    Sam ;)
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  • BB.
    BB. Super Moderators, Administrators Posts: 33,439 admin
    #8
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    Re: Any free tools for making PV system schematics?

    Sam,

    I understand--That is why I did not automatically delete your posts.

    -Bill
    Near San Francisco California: 3.5kWatt Grid Tied Solar power system+small backup genset
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  • PotterD789
    PotterD789 Registered Users Posts: 1
    #9
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    Re: Any free tools for making PV system schematics?

    Mike, love your drawings...if the offer is still good, i'd love a copy of it. If not, no problem.
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  • mike95490
    mike95490 Solar Expert Posts: 9,583 ✭✭✭✭✭
    #10
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    Re: Any free tools for making PV system schematics?
    PotterD789 wrote: »
    Mike, love your drawings...if the offer is still good, i'd love a copy of it. If not, no problem.

    PM me with your email address, and I'll email you the visio drawing, and you can copy the individual parts for reuse.
    Powerfab top of pole PV mount | Listeroid 6/1 w/st5 gen head | XW6048 inverter/chgr | Iota 48V/15A charger | Morningstar 60A MPPT | 48V, 800A NiFe Battery (in series)| 15, Evergreen 205w "12V" PV array on pole | Midnight ePanel | Grundfos 10 SO5-9 with 3 wire Franklin Electric motor (1/2hp 240V 1ph ) on a timer for 3 hr noontime run - Runs off PV ||
    || Midnight Classic 200 | 10, Evergreen 200w in a 160VOC array ||
    || VEC1093 12V Charger | Maha C401 aa/aaa Charger | SureSine | Sunsaver MPPT 15A

    solar: http://tinyurl.com/LMR-Solar
    gen: http://tinyurl.com/LMR-Lister ,

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  • solarix
    solarix Solar Expert Posts: 713 ✭✭
    #11
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    Re: Any free tools for making PV system schematics?

    For schematics, I use SuperCad by Mentala. Not free but is cheap and quite powerful for being simple to use. Meant for PCB design so has symbols and easily replicates duplicate features. Not without its aggrevations, but I would recommend it.
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  • RandomJoe
    RandomJoe Solar Expert Posts: 472 ✭✭✭
    #12
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    Re: Any free tools for making PV system schematics?

    I have used LibreCAD a bit, I'm no expert with CAD of any sort so can't say how good/bad it is but it does work well enough to let me make some 2D line diagrams. :D Runs on OSX, Windows, Linux. (I've used the OSX version.) It's no AutoCAD but it also costs a LOT less… :roll:

    http://librecad.org/cms/home.html
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  • inthejungle
    inthejungle Solar Expert Posts: 91 ✭✭
    #13
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    Re: Any free tools for making PV system schematics?

    Best program that I have found is called tiny cad


    http://sourceforge.net/apps/mediawiki/tinycad/index.php?title=TinyCAD


    It is simple to use, has a large user group for questions and is free



    Ben
    In Niger, trying to keep a LG FMA 102NAMA fridge(This has the inverter compressor) backed up with solar using a Victron Multi-Plus Inverter/Charger Compact 12v 1600w with a 70a charger built in.I want to back it up for 4-8 hours. I am also running a few O2 cool fans and a few Thin Lite LED's of my batteries for when the grid is down so my kids can sleep.
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  • mtdoc
    mtdoc Solar Expert Posts: 600 ✭✭
    #14
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    Re: Any free tools for making PV system schematics?

    For electrical circuit schematics (and pcb design) KiCad is the best free, opensource program. Eagle has long been the hobbyist standard but not as easy to use with an outdated user interface. It is not opensource and it's free version has a limit on the PCB size and layers but I don't think the effect its schematic editor. DipTrace is probably the best of the free ones but is also not opensource so it's free version has limts on pcb size and layers just like Eagle. I don't think it's excellent schematic editor is limited though.

    All of the above are electrical schematic CAD tools combined with PCB design tools. None are designed for Solar PV . The all have large libraries of components but these are PCB circuit components (passive components and ICs) they don't have large components like PV panels, breakers, inverters, etc. They do have component editors that allow you to draw your own components - so they could be adapted for that use.

    I am not aware of any electrical schematic CAD software that have built in solar PV or Renewable energy component libraries.
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