8. Summary

You have completed your first design, congrats! PVCAD supports version control by allowing users to create and manage multiple layout versions within a single project. You can see a summary of each of these versions on the Summary tab with key defining features about the project.

If you are looking for more information, refer to the following Appendix documentation sections, our YouTube channel, or reach out to support@pvcomplete.com.We love getting feedback and would love to hear what you think or set up a one -on – one training sessions.

Summary Tab

Use the following buttons on the Summary tab or in the PVCAD Ribbon to fully analyze your project:

• RECALCULATE ENERGY and QUICK ENERGY – Calculate an energy estimate using PVComplete’s 3D shading model to get an in-app energy estimate while you are working an can iterate – all you need is a project layout to complete this
• EXPORT KML – View your project within Google Maps with this export
• EXPORT BOM – We will summarize and export to Excel the types of equipment used, counts, and lengths of wire needed so that you can take your PVCAD drawings directly to your equipment supplier to place an order
• PVSYST – Export a 3D representation of your project and shade scene into PVSyst to avoid laboriously re-drawing your project for a PVSyst energy estimate
• SHADING REPORT and SHADING ANALYSIS – Our shading analysis and report will give you a color gradient for the impact of drawn obstructions on the energy yield of your project [PVCAD (Standard mode only)]

Editing Drawing Properties

PVCAD allows users to view and edit custom drawing properties from anywhere within the active drawing file. These properties help define system-wide metadata such as revisions, system size, and sheet count, which are used throughout the drawing set. To access the drawing properties:

1. Type DWGPROPS in the command line and press Enter.
2. The Drawing Properties dialog box will appear.
3. Navigate to the Custom tab to view and edit PVCAD-specific properties.

Within the Custom tab, you will find editable fields for key project details, including revision numbers, total system size (in kW), total number of sheets in the plan set. Some of these values are also available in the PVCAD sidebar, but the Custom tab provides access to the full list of drawing metadata. Once you have completed your edits:

1. Click OK at the bottom of the dialog box to save the changes.
2. Type REGEN in the command line and press Enter to regenerate the drawing.
3. PVCAD will apply the updated properties across all relevant sheets and design components.