AppliCad will release its latest version of the world renowned roofing and cladding software, and it will be the most significant update in over 15 months.

AppliCad will release its latest version of the world renowned roofing and cladding software, and it will be the most significant update in over 15 months.

Of particular note in the new release are a set of special tools that have been created for helping roofing professionals plan for the installation of solar panels – photo-voltaic and solar hot water heaters.  

The operator models the roof in 3D as normally done for a roof material proposal and then places the solar panels on the roof, individually or as an array. The operator can also place other objects on the roof or in surrounding areas, things like satellite antennas, trees and chimneys etc. A basic library of such objects is included, and since the AppliCad software includes a full function 3D CAD program, new objects can be created with as much or as little detail as required.

The operator then sets the date and time, then the location of the roof structure and then creates an animated sun shadow analysis. The shadows are cast for a sequence, through different times of the day and are saved to an animation file that may be replayed using a movie or media player on the PC.

This animation shows exactly the path of the shadows across the roof areas and most importantly, the solar panels themselves. Any obstruction over one panel in an array of panels, affects the efficiency of the whole array. This is very useful information.

Extra tools also report the solar radiation for each section of roof helping designers select the perfect location for maximum panel efficiency. The reports become part of the client proposal, demonstrating the thoroughness and professionalism of the company submitting the proposal. The whole process is just a few mouse clicks away after the roof is modeled. For more information, visit www.applicad.com.