How Pylon calculates solar shading in seconds

Pylon Solar Design Software is known among solar installers for its revolutionary 3D solar shading feature. Let’s find out how it works and what makes it different.

How does it work?

Included in Pylon are high resolution images of every rooftop in Australia, New Zealand, the Netherlands and America. We’re adding imagery in more countries as we go, and the images we do have are updated almost weekly.

The resolution on these images is within 5cm per pixel - that’s much, much higher than what you’ll find on a satellite image such as what you see on Google Earth. We get these images by using planes fitted with high definition cameras to fly over cities and suburban spaces, capture the images and sell them to us. We provide them to you for $4 per project so you don’t carry the overhead of having amazing imagery.

When you create a project in Pylon, the regular satellite image view is replaced with one of these hi-res images of the rooftop.

Shading magic

If there are any shadows on the roof, or obstructions that you think might cause a shadow like a tree, or a pole, or another building, you simply have to mark the edge of the shadow in the image.

Now that Pylon knows how long the shadow is, it can use the azimuth of the sun to determine the dimensions of the object.

Within seconds, you’ve build a 3D model of the installation site and can apply year-round sunlight data to easily generate solar shading projections.

What makes Pylon different?

Most solar design software make you learn how to use a 3D design studio that tilts on multiple axes. You’re required to pan down to eye level and mark up the obstruction, often estimating the height of the tree or building, and then pan back up to a top down view.

This method of creating a 3D model is time-consuming and inaccurate. Furthermore, it doesn’t work on iPads.

Pylon’s 2D studio which allows for 3D objects to be placed on it is both efficient, easy to use, and compatible with the iPad.