Solmetric iSV iPhone Application User Manual

Solmetric iSV iPhone Application User Manual Version 1.0

Copyright 2010 Solmetric Corporation

www.solmetric.com

About Solmetric iSV The Solmetric iSV Sun Viewer application uses the iPhone camera to provide an “augmented reality” view of the sun paths at your location. This allows you to make a quick assessment of the timing and impact of shading obstructions. Solmetric iSV can be used for evaluation of solar access for solar energy systems, landscaping, agriculture, photography, event planning, or real estate assessment. In the camera view, the user can see how the obstructions interact with the sun path. Where an obstruction overlaps a sun path, shading will occur. The application uses the built-in camera, compass and tilt sensor of the iPhone, and therefore requires the iPhone 3GS and will not run on the iPhone 2G, 3G, iPod, or iPad. Release 1.0 supports portrait only. The following features are included in Solmetric iSV: • Dynamic display of vertical azimuth lines, showing compass directions for all tilts. • Dynamic display of daily and annual sun paths for the current location. • Dynamic display of “cross-hair” marker on screen showing the azimuth and elevation angle of the center of the iPhone’s camera view. • Dynamic display of user adjustable reference line at an elevation angle at a distance to height ratio of 2:1, 3:1, or user selection. • Automatic detection of the current location using the iPhone’s GPS function and locationspecific calculation of sun paths. • Sun path arc label by month and by time of day (hourly). • Current sun location with a sun icon. These features are shown in the screen shot below.

System Setup When you open Solmetric iSV it will find your location using your iPhone’s GPS. You will see the Sun Path for your current location. The bottom bar displays the status information such as current time and location. Tap the iPhone screen to display the toolbar with Tools and Camera buttons (see screen shot below). Click on the Tools button to navigate to the Settings page.

Settings Page The Settings page allows you to input your configuration. The following settings can be configured to your specifications: Location • Name. The name can be entered by the user. • Latitude. This value is automatically read from GPS when GPS is on. • Longitude. This value is automatically read from GPS when GPS is on. • Altitude. This value is automatically read from GPS when GPS is on. • GPS. ON OFF

In the location tab you can enter the name for the location. By default the application will get the current location from the GPS. You turn the GPS off and manually enter the longitude, latitude, and altitude you can use the GPS function or enter in the coordinates. Turning the GPS off reduces battery consumption. You can turn the GPS off and choose “Detect Location Once” and it will bring up the current GPS coordinates and use those values for the remainder of the session.

Grid Lines • Azimuth Lines. Vertical compass lines showing the direction every 22.5 degrees of azimuth. • Elevation Line. An elevation line on screen that can be set to a specific value.

You can turn the Azimuth Lines ON or OFF. If you turn them off then you cannot use the Elevation Line. When you turn the Azimuth Lines On then you can set the Elevation Line to the setting of your choosing. The Elevation Line can be used to determine if obstructions exceed the reference elevation angle. For example the 2:1 Elevation Line shows a reference line at an obstruction elevation angle associated with an obstruction with Distance to Height ratio of 2:1, that is, the distance to the obstruction is twice the elevation of the obstruction. This value is used in the California Solar Incentive (CSI) program to define minimal shading. A diagram showing the Distance to Height relationship and the elevation line and elevation angle is shown below.

Sun Paths • Sun Paths ON/OFF. Enables/Disables display of Sun Paths for current location. • Daylight Saving ON/OFF. Determines how time values are displayed, either for Standard Time or Daylight Savings time. • Render Paths for Months Under Sun Paths you can turn Sun Paths ON or OFF. The Daylight Savings switch simply sets the time labels on the Sun Path to DST. You can also change the month view by switching from Jan-Jun or Jun-Dec in the Render Paths for Months tab.

Crosshair • Crosshair You can turn Crosshair ON or OFF. Crosshairs help you measure and determine the azimuth and elevation at the boundaries of an obstruction. Once you have completed your settings you can return to the Camera page by pressing the Camera button in the upper left hand corner of the screen.

Camera Page Once you have configured your Settings you can start taking pictures. To take a picture tap anywhere on the screen to bring up the control bar, then press the Camera button. The pictures that you take are stored in your Photos folder on your iPhone and can easily be emailed from there. Each picture includes the bottom bar with status information so you can easily recall where and when it was taken.

Disclaimer: The Solmetric iSV is intended for visualization of sun paths and directions. Measurement accuracy is not specified, and results should be cross-checked with other measurement devices before making decisions with financial implications.