Leveraging PVcase for DC wiring solutions in solar PV

Key Metrics

• ​1% reduction in quoting time
• ​1k€ material cost savings

Summary

The solar photovoltaic industry continuously seeks ways to enhance efficiency and reduce costs. DC wiring, while fundamental, has traditionally been a significant source of both expense and complexity in ground-mounted solar projects due to manual, on-site methods. ENGESOLAR, a leading cable assembly solutions provider, has addressed this by leveraging PVcase software. Recognizing a market need where pre-assembled wire harnesses are standard, and driven by project developers seeking cost-effective pre-assembly solutions, ENGESOLAR set out to become a 360-degree DC wiring solution provider in the German and European markets.

Challenges

Traditional DC wiring in ground-mounted solar plants, which involves connecting individual PV strings with separate cables, presented several critical challenges for ENGESOLAR and their clients:

1. Time-consuming manual quoting

Calculating string lengths from PDF files for project quotes was a manual, hours-long bottleneck.

2. High risk of errors

The manual nature of this process increased the likelihood of mistakes such as incorrect cable lengths, improper connections, and inconsistent quality control.

3. Lack of integrated design capability

As a new entrant into solar design, ENGESOLAR needed a robust and intuitive tool to efficiently plan ground-mounted parks.

Client Experience

“If we receive the string plan as a PDF, it takes hours to generate the quote because we must manually calculate each string length. With PVcase, however, this process is completed in just 5 minutes, significantly saving time and eliminating human errors.”

— Fabian Detemple, Bereichsleiter, ENGESOLAR

Solution

ENGESOLAR adopted PVcase Ground Mount as the cornerstone of their strategy to address these challenges and establish themselves as a comprehensive DC wiring solution provider. PVcase Ground Mount became a crucial tool for automating and optimizing the design process for DC string harnesses. This innovative feature, Harness Manager, directly tackles the shortcomings of previous, less realistic harness functionalities, often resulting in designs that failed to account for practical installation scenarios. With Harness Manager, ENGESOLAR incorporates detailed cable harnesses into its ground-mounted PV designs with unparalleled accuracy and efficiency.

Optimize DC wiring and material costs

PVcase’s precise string length and voltage drop calculations let ENGESOLAR optimize wire use, saving €50–100k in copper on a 100 MW project by using 20–25% 4 mm² instead of 6 mm² wire, with voltage drop under 1%.

Facilitate collaboration

PVcase allows ENGESOLAR to seamlessly exchange design files with customers. For clients already using PVcase, Engesolar can directly upload their DWG files, double-check and optimize the DC wiring.

Automate quoting

By receiving PVcase design files (DWG), ENGESOLAR can generate a quote in just 5 minutes, a drastic reduction from the half-day it previously took for a 10 MW park.

Enable in-house design

PVcase’s intuitive interface and smooth onboarding enabled ENGESOLAR, new to design, to quickly begin planning ground-mounted parks. Fabian noted they “wouldn’t have been able to go this way” without PVcase.

Results

Expanded service offerings

ENGESOLAR can now deliver full DC wiring planning and pre-assembly services, positioning itself as a “360° DC wiring provider.”

Stronger customer relationships

By offering design support and cost-saving solutions, ENGESOLAR strengthens partnerships with clients ranging from small developers to large EPCs.

Massive time savings

Quotes that once took half a day now take 5 minutes with PVcase DWG files.

Enhanced accuracy

Reduced manual errors lead to more precise and reliable DC wiring designs and quotes.

Significant cost reduction

Optimized wire gauging translates to substantial material cost savings for customers, enhancing ENGESOLAR's value proposition.

About ENGESOLAR

ENGESOLAR, a brand of the Engeser Group, is a leading global provider of specialized cable assembly solutions. With a focus on innovation and quality, Engesolar recognized the need to optimize DC wiring processes within the solar photovoltaic industry. Their expertise in cable manufacturing, combined with strategic technology adoption like PVcase, enables them to deliver cutting-edge, pre-assembled DC string harnesses.