---
title: "PV energy system - the preparation"
slug: "pv-system-preparation"
description: "Learn to design an effective PV energy system with essential tools, site assessments, and optimization techniques for optimal performance and feasibility."
updated: 2026-07-23T06:46:36Z
published: 2026-07-23T06:46:36Z
canonical: "kb.solargis.com/pv-system-preparation"
---

> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://kb.solargis.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# PV energy system - the preparation

**In this document**

You'll learn how to prepare for designing a PV energy system in two phases: planning and design (assessing required output, site size, restricted areas, and grid connection, then building segments, arrays, transformers, and shading objects) and system optimization (configuring arrays, inverters, spacing, and losses, then validating and iterating), along with the 500 MWp system size limit and the ability to save and compare multiple designs.

## Before you start designing

The **PV energy system designer** incorporates many tools essential to designing an effective PV energy system. When done correctly, the design can closely resemble reality and provide great insights into the system's feasibility.

Generally, the designer’s design process can be divided into two phases, where different assessments and steps should be performed. These are summarized in the following table.

| Planning and energy system designing phase | System optimization phase |
| --- | --- |
| - Required PV energy system output - Site size and location - PV energy system design | - [Spacing](https://kb.solargis.com/docs/array-configuration#array-spacing) optimization - Electric optimization - Revision of [losses](/v1/docs/cabling-and-system-losses) and re-optimizing |

> [!TIP]
> **Note**: You can prepare and save several system designs and compare their simulation results to find the optimal solution for your case.

![](https://cdn.document360.io/ae2d502f-6c0d-4865-a68e-43ad8da61149/Images/Documentation/image-1783684401925.png)

## The planning and system design phase

### Required energy system output and site examination

These two steps are interconnected and affect each other. You should know what your required PV energy system output is and whether the site can incorporate an installation of such size. You can use our [Prospect application](https://apps.solargis.com/prospect/) to perform the initial site feasibility check and build the PV energy system in the Evaluate after.

Consider the following before commencing the design process:

- The **area** the PV energy system with required power will cover.
- The **installation site character** - restricted areas, trees, shading objects, terrain slope, and other factors.
- System’s **grid connection** - the proximity and character of the nearest grid connection point and its available capacity.

### PV energy system design

> [!WARNING]
> **Important**: The current limit on the maximum energy system size in the Energy system designer is **500MWp.**

Once you have established the site’s suitability and required power output, you can start designing your energy system. The energy system design process generally involves the following:

- Importing existing designs using KML files.
- Manually creating segments for array placements.
- Adding arrays to segments or to the reference point.
- Adding additional inverter transformers (if required) or power transformer (the system’s algorithms will do this for you automatically by default).
- Creating maintenance paths, [restricted areas](https://kb.solargis.com/docs/drawing-segments-restricted-areas-and-shading-objects#restricted-areas-restricted-lines-and-line-objects), and adding shading objects.

> [!TIP]
> **Note**: The arrays can be edited and resized at any time. You can have multiple segments covered with arrays and connected based on requirements. Segments can not overlap.

![](https://cdn.document360.io/ae2d502f-6c0d-4865-a68e-43ad8da61149/Images/Documentation/image-DSJ95T6G.png)

## System optimization phase

### Space and electrical optimization

After you have placed and configured your arrays, you can proceed to the **optimization phase,** generally containing the following**:**

- Configuring your [arrays](/v1/docs/array-configuration) and [inverters](/v1/docs/inverter-and-transformer-configuration) by replacing the generic components, adjusting the [spacing](https://kb.solargis.com/docs/array-configuration#array-spacing), [string sizes](https://kb.solargis.com/docs/array-configuration#string-size-settings), [table geometry](https://kb.solargis.com/docs/array-configuration#table-geometry-settings), [inverter positioning](https://kb.solargis.com/docs/inverter-and-transformer-configuration#inverter-positioning), and other parameters.
- Reviewing and adjusting the default cabling, auxiliary, and degradation losses, or setting unavailability due to external factors.
- [Validating](/v1/docs/energy-system-validation) the system and re-optimizing based on results and requirements.

> [!TIP]
> **Note**: The optimization process may involve several iterations of adjusting different system parameters, changing components, and re-validations. We advise running system validation periodically to ensure that changes you implemented did not affect the system's validity. The validation is also done automatically every time you save your system using the **“Save”** button.