Automated solar collector installation design including exceptional condition management and display

Abstract

Embodiments may include systems and methods to create and edit a representation of a worksite, to create various data objects, to classify such objects as various types of pre-defined “features” with attendant properties and layout constraints. As part of or in addition to classification, an embodiment may include systems and methods to create, associate, and edit intrinsic and extrinsic properties to these objects. A design engine may apply of design rules to the features described above to generate one or more solar collectors installation design alternatives, including generation of on-screen and/or paper representations of the physical layout or arrangement of the one or more design alternatives. In some embodiments, metadata about the design process, including the process of classifying features and providing user input, generating layouts, and then modifying those layouts, may be generated. The metadata may include information about exceptional conditions in the project state information or design. A list of exceptions corresponding to exceptional conditions may be generated, and the designer may interact with these exceptions in a variety of ways, such as by complying with rules to remove an item from the exceptions list or overriding the application of the rules. The exceptions may be non-blocking relative to other user actions.

1 . A method of generating a solar collector installation design on a computer, comprising:
 providing a representation of an installation worksite, the representation comprising user-defined project state information;   applying rules to the user-defined project state information to determine metadata about the solar collector installation design;   using the metadata to generate a set of design exceptions, wherein each design exception encodes an exceptional condition due to a violation of a software-encoded rule by the user-defined project state information;   providing a representation of the set of design exceptions to the user; and   for each design exception, presenting options to the user to ignore the design exception or comply with the design exception.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein at least one of the exceptional conditions relates to one of the group of omissions by the user, violations of regulations, violations of solar collector manufacturer specifications, violations of client requirements, violations of physical space constraints, violations of engineering principles, and violations of company engineering policy. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising displaying at least some members of the set of design exceptions in a computer-based user interface. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising maintaining a record of actions taken by the user in relation to each design exception. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein an action taken by the user in relation to a first design exception may be subsequently authorized. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein ignoring a first design exception may be subsequently authorized. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the options available to the user further include explicitly overriding a first design exception to allow the user to indicate that the exceptional condition is permissible. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein explicitly overriding by the user in relation to the first design exception may be subsequently authorized. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 8 , further comprising maintaining a record of the authorization. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising receiving from the user compliance information sufficient to remedy a first exceptional condition and using the compliance information to modify at least one of the geometric objects or the project state information. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10 , further comprising removing a first design exception corresponding to the first exceptional condition from the list after receipt of user compliance information. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 10 , further comprising recording the receipt of user compliance information in a history. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the user compliance information comprises at least one item selected from the group of a project property, a customer property, a design preference, a work area boundary, and an aperture boundary. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the user compliance information comprises a command by the user for the system to automatically address a first design exception, and wherein the method further comprises modifying the project state information in accordance with removing a first exceptional condition relating to the installation design. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising receiving an authorization of the design exception from a second user and recording that authorization as part of the set of design exceptions. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising receiving an authorization of the design exception from a second user and recording that authorization as part of the project state information. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16 , further comprising removing a first design exception from the set of design exceptions. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising, in order, receiving a user modification to the project state information, re-applying the rules to determine metadata about the installation design, detecting that a first exceptional condition corresponding to a first design exception no longer exists, and removing the representation of the design exception from the user. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein applying rules to determine metadata further comprises generating a layout of solar collectors corresponding to the installation worksite. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 19 , wherein the project state information contains classifications of geometric objects as features of the installation worksite, and wherein applying the rules to determine metadata further comprises generating a layout of solar collectors corresponding to properties of the features of the installation worksite. 
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein applying rules to determine metadata further comprises generating metadata from at least one of the group of energy simulation data and project summary data. 
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the project state information comprises project version information reflecting differing versions of solar collector installation designs. 
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the project state information comprises design preferences to be applied when generating a solar collector installation design. 
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the project state information comprises classifications of geometric objects as instances of feature classes and associated feature properties of the classified objects. 
     
     
         25 . A method of generating terms to a contract for a solar collector installation project, comprising:
 providing a representation of an installation worksite in a computing device, the representation comprising geometric objects, and project state information;   applying software-encoded rules to the geometric objects and the project state information to determine metadata about the installation design;   using the metadata to generate a set of exceptions, the exceptions each encoding an exceptional condition arising from a violation of a rule encoded in software and regarding the installation design, the exceptions providing information sufficient to identify a term for inclusion in the contract; and   generating a list of the terms for inclusion in the contract, where the terms correspond to one or more contract exclusions.   
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 25 , wherein the term for inclusion relates to a limited warranty. 
     
     
         27 . The method of  claim 25 , wherein the term for inclusion relates to a disclaimer. 
     
     
         28 . The method of  claim 25 , wherein the term for inclusion relates to a scope of work. 
     
     
         29 . The method of  claim 25 , wherein the term for inclusion relates to a price. 
     
     
         30 . A computer-based user interface for designing a solar collector installation design, comprising:
 a user interface representation of a solar collector installation design, the representation comprising solar collectors arranged on a surface substantially according to project state information;   a representation of a list of design exceptions, wherein at least one of the design exceptions corresponds to an exceptional condition related to a violation of a software-encoded design rule by the solar collector installation design; and   a user interface control operable to allow a user to address the exceptional condition by interacting with the design exception, wherein interacting with the exception comprises performing at least one of the group of complying with and overriding the design exception;   wherein the user may perform other actions in the user interface before addressing the exceptional condition.   
     
     
         31 . The user interface of  claim 30 , wherein the exceptional conditions relates to one of the group of omissions by the user, violations of regulations, violations of solar collector manufacturer specifications, violations of client requirements, violations of engineering principles, and violations of company engineering policy. 
     
     
         32 . The user interface of  claim 30 , further comprising a control operable to allow a second user to address the exceptional condition by authorizing the exception. 
     
     
         33 . The user interface of  claim 30 , wherein interacting with the design exception comprises supplying data into a field of the design exception, the data being used to modify the project state information. 
     
     
         34 . The user interface of  claim 30 , wherein interacting with the design exception comprises selection of a control to automatically adjust the project state information so as to remove the exceptional condition. 
     
     
         35 . The user interface of  claim 30 , wherein at least a portion of the interaction is recorded. 
     
     
         36 . The user interface of  claim 35 , wherein the portion of the interaction that is recorded is recorded as part of the solar collector installation design. 
     
     
         37 . The user interface of  claim 30 , further comprising a control operable to receive an authorization of the design exception and record that authorization as part of the project state information. 
     
     
         38 . The user interface of  claim 30 , further comprising a control operable to generate a list of authorizations of design exceptions. 
     
     
         39 . The user interface of  claim 30 , further comprising a control operable to generate a list of contract exceptions corresponding to exceptional conditions related to violation of a design rule by the solar collector installation design, the contract exceptions providing information sufficient to identify a term for inclusion in a contract. 
     
     
         40 . The user interface of  claim 30 , where the representation of the solar collector installation design and the representation of design exceptions are displayed simultaneously on a display device. 
     
     
         41 . The user interface of  claim 30 , wherein the solar collectors comprise photovoltaic modules.