Rooftop solar panels get boost from Sandia tool that previews a year on grid in minutes

By Kristen Meub | Photo by Randy Montoya

Homeowners and businesses may now have an easier time getting solar panels on rooftops thanks to software developed at Sandia.

The new software can run a detailed, second-by-second simulation, known as quasi-static time series analysis, that shows utility companies how rooftop solar panels at a specific house or business would interact with a local electrical grid throughout the year.

Utility companies need the analysis because they must deliver electricity at the standard voltage used to run everything from refrigerators to phone chargers. Large amounts of solar generation in one section of a city can lead to extreme voltage fluctuations, which can damage household electronics.

This type of grid analysis hasn’t been practical outside of research settings, until now, because previous models took days to run a single scenario. The new simulations are more detailed than those used by utility companies, and Sandia researchers hope they will result in more solar panel installations.

Read the complete news release to learn more.