Executive Summary
app.decofort.in hosts a browser-based PV design and simulation platform (IST PVSolar Simulator V9.0.0) that claims alignment with IEC 61724-1, IEC 61853, BIS IS 16169, CEA, and MNRE standards.
The platform is built as an end-to-end EPC/design workbench — site & weather input, orientation/POA modelling, module/inverter selection, a detailed IEC-style loss cascade, string design, economics (CAPEX/OPEX/IRR/NPV/DSCR), a full hourly/sub-hourly simulation engine, and an extensive "Research" module for deep diagnostics (bifacial, tracker, shading, spectral, battery, climate risk, agrivoltaics, etc.).
For a PM Surya Ghar vendor:
- Residential Rooftop (PM Surya Ghar segment): The tool is functionally over-built for this segment. Many of its differentiators (Monte-Carlo bankability, DSCR, tracker research, agrivoltaics) are irrelevant to a 1–10 kWp residential job, but the core sizing → loss calc → simulation → proposal/BOQ pipeline is genuinely useful for producing a fast, professional, standards-referenced customer proposal.
- C&I Rooftop: This is where the tool's depth actually pays off — loss accounting, shading (near/far/3D), bifacial, financial due-diligence, and bankability-report generation map closely to what C&I clients, DISCOMs, and financiers expect.
What the Tool Actually Does (as observed)
| Module | Function |
|---|---|
| Project & Site | Project metadata, lat/long lookup, TMY import (PVGIS/NASA), far-horizon shading defaults |
| Orientation | Tilt/azimuth optimisation, Perez POA transposition, 3D shading (near/far horizon, LiDAR/DEM), bifacial infinite-sheds model, single-axis tracker (SAT) modelling |
| System Params | Load tally (day/night), battery/self-consumption dispatch, module & inverter DB selection with I-V/efficiency curve generation |
| Loss Calculation | Full IEC-style loss cascade (thermal, DC/AC, LID/mismatch/clipping, aging, IAM, auxiliaries, grid delivery chain, transformer losses) |
| Sub-array Design | String/MPPT configuration and DC/AC sizing |
| Economics | CAPEX/OPEX, financing, depreciation/tax, LCOE/NPV/IRR/payback, bankability perspective (DSCR, Equity IRR), Monte-Carlo financial risk, lender due-diligence checklist |
| Simulation Engine | Hourly (8,760-step) / sub-hourly (15-min) single/two-diode simulation, AI/ML recommendations, environmental impact (CO₂), EPC proposal & BOQ generation, protection/cable schedule |
| Databases | Module/inverter libraries, country-wise CAPEX/Wp bankability bands, default parameter reference table |
Effectiveness for Residential Rooftop (PM Surya Ghar Segment)
Relevant strengths
- Fast, standards-referenced proposal generation — a vendor can size a 1–10 kWp system, run a monthly/hourly simulation, and print a client-facing proposal with SLD, BOQ, and CO₂ savings in one session.
- Project Type = "On-grid Rooftop Residential" is a first-class option in the sizing workflow.
- Load-tally (day/night appliance table) directly supports the consumption-based sizing DISCOMs and the scheme's subsidy calculators expect.
- BIS IS 16169 / CEA / MNRE references give the proposal document credibility for DISCOM submission.
- CAPEX/OPEX and simple payback outputs map reasonably well to what a residential customer needs to see (payback years, ROI), even without an explicit PM Surya Ghar subsidy line-item.