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How New Leaf Energy cut dev time by 50% with PVcase for AutoCAD

New Leaf Energy, a leading US renewable energy developer, cut solar project development time by 50% and improved efficiency by using the PVcase platform for AutoCAD, which streamlined site selection, design, and yield optimization processes that were previously hindered by manual tools, fragmented workflows, and poor team coordination.

How New Leaf Energy cut dev time by 50% with PVcase for AutoCAD

Learn how PVcase platform enabled New Leaf Energy to reduce solar project development time by 50% — and more.

Customer

  • New Leaf Energy
  • Location: USA
  • Industry: Renewable energy
  • Employees: 200+

Key Results

  • 6 min from site selection to design
  • 1x reduction in design optimization time
  • 14% faster project development

About New Leaf Energy

New Leaf Energy is one of the leading developers of renewable energy and energy storage projects in the United States—both distributed generation and utility scale. Headquartered in Lowell, MA, with employees and projects spanning the country, New Leaf Energy was formed in 2022 out of Borrego’s market-leading solar and energy storage development business, which extends back to 1980. New Leaf Energy uses PVcase Prospect, PVcase Ground Mount, and PVcase Yield to streamline their operations.

"We were spending too much time on drafting and not enough on decision-making. We needed a smarter, faster way to develop our projects."

— Phil Hofmeyer, Technical Design Manager at New Leaf Energy

Challenges

Manual tools, bottlenecks, and team coordination issues

New Leaf Energy, a pioneer in solar project development across the US, faced challenges as it expanded from 5MW sites to 450MW installations. As an EPC developer and consulting firm, the company grappled with labor-intensive site selection, slow design iterations, and the daunting task of yield optimization.

Key Challenges

  • Design time constraints: Manual designs and data transfer between tools hindered efficiency and communication.
  • Fragmented processes: Maintaining consistency across design and development stages was difficult, leading to inefficiencies and delays.
  • Data silos: Lack of integrated data and communication across software and teams impeded performance and increased costs.
  • Slow design iterations: Manual data entry slowed design iterations, preventing rapid exploration and optimization.
  • Limited design precision: Early-stage designs lacked detail for full confidence in project viability.
  • Collaboration barriers: Needed to improve collaboration among teams, engineers, and landowners.
  • Onboarding hurdles: Training new hires on disjointed tools was time-consuming.

"We rely on traditional site surveys for our smaller projects under 5 MW. But we needed something faster for large utility-scale projects — 50 MW and up. PVcase Prospect changed everything."

— Phil Hofmeyer, Design Engineering Manager

The Solution: A 3-Step PVcase Workflow

PVcase, an end-to-end solar project development platform, extends AutoCAD’s capabilities with automation and precision. PVcase Ground Mount, integrated with PVcase Prospect and PVcase Yield, transformed New Leaf Energy’s workflow into a seamless, Autodesk-centric process, resulting in 50% faster development.

Step 1: Site Selection with PVcase Prospect

  • Import terrain data in seconds instead of manually pulling topographic maps.
  • For projects under 5 MW, detailed site surveys with 1-foot contour intervals are used.
  • For larger projects (50 MW+), topography data from PVcase Prospect or PVcase Ground Mount's Terrain feature is used.
  • Terrain is a key initial screening factor, enabling quick preset establishment and streamlined project configuration in PVcase Ground Mount’s CAD environment.
  • PVcase Prospect enables fast grid connection, efficient landowner communication, and seamless environmental integration.
  • Results: Projects completed 50% faster, frequent yield estimations, 20-second switches from site selection to design, and fewer surprises.

Step 2: Design with PVcase Ground Mount

  • After initial screening, terrain and GIS data are integrated into PVcase Ground Mount (AutoCAD plug-in) within 20 seconds.
  • Module and frame presets: The Anza database allows predefined settings based on wind/snow loads, pricing, and market availability. Standardized presets enable instant, error-free module configuration, saving hours of manual input.
  • Terrain Mesh: Import data, create a terrain mesh, and build a slope table tailored to a specific racking vendor. Ensures compliance with civil constraints across site conditions. Useful for early site screening without detailed grading and pile settings adjustments.
  • Capacity Iteration:
    • When unexpected constraints (e.g., conservation easements) arise, new boundaries are imported, and multiple layout scenarios are explored automatically.
    • Quickly estimate PV area and compare fixed-tilt vs. single-axis tracker systems, considering landowner preferences, regulations, and engineering concerns.
    • Iterative design process allows reassessment of site viability and feeds into the valuation model.
    • Optimization time reduced from two weeks to less than a day.

"The Capacity Iteration feature in PVcase has been a game-changer for us. It drastically reduces drafting time by allowing us to test different scenarios and find viable design alternatives quickly. The feature eases the frustration of reworking designs and allows us to focus on optimizing our projects efficiently."

— Phil Hofmeyer, Design Engineering Manager

Step 3: Energy Yield Calculations with PVcase Yield

  • Previously, energy yield calculations took two weeks and required exporting files between multiple platforms.
  • Now, data from PVcase Ground Mount is integrated into PVcase Yield, allowing several yield calculations in less than a day.

Workflow Highlights

  • Seamless integration: Data flows directly from PVcase Ground Mount to PVcase Yield, eliminating manual exports and errors.
  • Concurrent scenario exploration: Run 4-5 different yield models simultaneously while working on layouts.
  • Data-driven decisions: Instant access to critical data enables informed decisions based on insights.
  • Investor-ready outputs: Quickly generate 8760 production files and investor-ready reports, streamlining project evaluation.

Results: Faster, Smarter, More Efficient

  • 50% faster project development: Site selection, design, and yield modeling now take days instead of weeks.
  • Fewer errors, higher accuracy: Standardized presets eliminate manual mistakes in module selection, layout configurations, and energy modeling.
  • Improved real-time collaboration: Teams can review and refine designs together, even with landowners present.
  • Project viability assessment: Real-time yield modeling allows assessment of multiple scenarios in a single afternoon.
  • Improved team efficiency: Onboarding time halved; new hires contribute almost immediately.
  • Seamless AutoCAD integration: PVcase Ground Mount extends AutoCAD’s capabilities with automation and precision.

Ready to experience the new way of working?

Turn complexity into clarity and confidently move your solar project forward with PVcase solutions.

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