If you are looking for a way to design solar thermal or solar photovoltaic installations using SketchUp, you might want to check out Skelion, a plugin that allows you to create solar systems in a few clicks. Skelion is a cross-platform plugin that works on Windows and Mac OS, and it integrates with Google Earth to help you design residential or ground mount power plants. Skelion can also generate tracking and backtracking systems for optimal solar performance.
To use Skelion, you need to have SketchUp Make or Pro 2017 or later installed on your computer, as well as Internet Explorer 11 on Windows OS. You can download Skelion from its official website and follow the normal process to install plugins on SketchUp. You can also watch this video for a step-by-step guide on how to download and install Skelion. Skelion offers a free version with limited features, as well as a pro version with more advanced options and support. You can try the pro version for 15 days before purchasing a license.
Once you have installed Skelion, you can access it from the SketchUp toolbar or menu. Skelion has a user-friendly interface that guides you through the process of designing your solar system. You can start by importing a 3D model of your site from Google Earth or creating one in SketchUp. Then, you can select the type of solar system you want to design, such as thermal or photovoltaic, fixed or tracking, roof or ground mount. Skelion will automatically calculate the optimal orientation, tilt, and spacing of your solar panels based on your location, date, and time. You can also adjust these parameters manually if you prefer. Skelion will also show you the energy production, shading analysis, and financial analysis of your solar system. You can export your solar system as a SketchUp model or as a report in PDF or Excel format.
Skelion is a powerful and versatile plugin that can help you design solar systems in an easy and efficient way. Skelion can help you reduce the cost of the design by saving hours of modeling time. Skelion can also help you make good looking professional presentations and proposals for your clients or stakeholders. Skelion is compatible with other SketchUp plugins and extensions, such as 3D Warehouse, LayOut, and SU Podium. Skelion is constantly updated with new features and improvements based on user feedback and suggestions.
If you are interested in solar design, you should give Skelion a try and see how it can enhance your SketchUp experience.