Last updated: 31st August 2023
Visualizing Your Solar Project At Any Stage of Development
We’ve been working on a lot of solar array 3D rendering projects recently, and there are two main ways we get approached to help:
A developer or home owner is working on a new building project, wants to incorporate solar and asks us to include solar panels in 3D renderings where we render the entire building from scratch. In these cases we work off the building plans and stylistic information from the client. This type of project can be as simple as adding a few solar panels to the roof of a family home, or as complex as rendering gigantic solar arrays, or solar set ups on shopping malls. Have a look further down this page to see some examples of solar visualizations from scratch.
We get a request to render solar panels into pre-existing locations. In this circumstance, our clients send us photos of the existing space where they would like the solar arrays added, and we super impose them on top of what’s already there. Directly below are some before and after photos of what’s possible.
Click on the images to open larger versions in a lightbox.
Making your solar system design easier visually
Due to the limited supply of fossil fuels and increasing concern over the damage to the environment being caused by unsustainable sources of energy, many people are choosing to move some or all of their energy production to sustainable sources such as wind and solar power.
And it’s not just homeowners who are jumping on this growing trend. Some of the biggest, most well-known companies in the world including Amazon, Apple, IKEA, Costco and more are going big on using energy from the sun to power their businesses, installing massive solar arrays that generate a huge amount of power.
While the upfront costs of installing a solar system can be quite large, photovoltaic (PV) solar panels have a lifespan of at least 25 - 30 years, and once your energy bills are reduced or removed due to the power coming from your solar system (sometimes the energy company will even pay you as excess power returns back to the grid!) the system can pay for itself fairly quickly, well before the solar system will stop producing energy for you.
Solar system design is a complicated process, but here at Render 3D Quick we’ve found a way to make it a bit easier, by giving our clients the ability to see how their solar arrays will look in real life, not just on an engineering diagram on paper.
An example 3D rendering showing a supermarket complex with thousands of solar panels covering the roof and the parking lot
How are 3d rendering services useful for solar panel array design, photovoltaic system design and rooftop modeling?
There are a number of ways that commercial architectural rendering services can be useful in the process of designing a solar array. Here are just a few:
Visualizing what a solar PV (photovoltaic) array design will look like on your school, shopping mall, parking lot or other commercial venue
Because the initial outlay for solar panel systems - including paying an electrical engineer to design the system, going through planning approval, buying the panels, batteries, inverter and paying specialist electrical contractors to install the system - can be significant, it’s important to know how the installation is going to look, not just for your piece of mind, but also for the benefit of other people in the community and the planning process, and to ensure you don’t waste time or money on an installation that just won’t work.
Will your system as envisaged be visible to most people from ground? Or will it be hidden on the roof? Will the location of your buildings in relation to the surrounding environment allow the panels to get as much sunlight as possible? All these and more questions can be answered by having us create a visual representation of your project, like in the 3D visualizations below.
We could even create an architecture mockup model for your solar array.
2. Visualizing what photovoltaic or solar thermal collectors will look like on your home or other residential property
If you’re a homeowner, the visual aesthetic of the solar system or solar thermal collector (similar to solar power but used for generating heat rather than electricity) you are planning to put on your house is very important, mainly because you have to look at it every day! If the array is ugly, even if it generates a great amount of energy savings, you may end up coming to resent it. For this reason alone it can be a good idea to get a 3D rendering of how your panels will look on your property. This may be important not just for you but also for your relationships with your neighbors.
Another important factor to consider for residential properties is the neighboring buildings, trees etc. You may have great plans to put solar panels on your roof, and then realize through a 3D visualization or simulation that you won’t get as much sun on the panels as you think; maybe there’s another building blocking the sun, or a huge tree next door. Seeing this could mean you choose to mount the panels on a frame on another place on your property rather than your roof for instance.
3. 3D solar panel modeling to simulate lighting conditions so you can find the best place and angle to put your solar array
Another benefit of 3D renderings for residential systems is the ability to create 3D simulations of the movement of the sun throughout the year over the solar power system you’re proposing to add to your property.
A 3D animated simulation can show you how much light your system will get in the full sun of summer when the sun is at its highest, versus the sun in winter which will hit your property at a much lower angle. Using this information you can determine the best positioning and angle for your solar system. You may even choose to create a system where the angle of the panels can be adjusted based on the light conditions and time of year.
4. Assist in the planning approval process
It’s important to check with your local council as to whether or not you will need to apply for council approval and a planning permit in order to install solar at your residential or commercial property.
In many cases solar panel installations may be considered “permitted development” meaning that you may not require planning approval for the installation, but in other cases you may need a planning permit and council approval, particularly if your building is heritage listed or in a conservation area.
If your project requires a period of public comment on the proposed development, having members of the public able to see what the installation will look like through a 3D rendering may help avoid any complaints and rejections. Best to check with the council planner you are working with in regards to this, however.
The process for solar panel system designers, installers and property owners to turn a solar (PV) panel array diagram into a 3D rendering
Getting a 3D rendering of your solar project done is easy.
To get started we will need the solar panel diagrams / schematics for the installation, or if you don’t have these we will need information on how and where you are planning to install the panels.
Creating your rendering from a photograph or drone footage
We can then create your 3D rendering either from an aerial photograph, a regular photograph, or even drone footage of your property, where we can insert the 3D rendering of the solar panels over the real footage or photograph of your building or development. If this is the route you would like us to take, it’s important to send us photos or footage in as high a quality as you have available. Professional photographs are ideal for this purpose.
Creating your visualization from scratch
Alternatively if your property is unbuilt or you don’t have good photographs or footage, we can create a 3D design for you from scratch that shows your property in a photorealistic way, in its surrounding environment with your proposed solar panel installation added.
You will be surprised just how quickly and affordably we can create these designs for you.
If you would like to discuss our solar system 3D visualization services as a 3d rendering company, please send us a request through our quote form and we’ll get back to you in 5 - 10 minutes. Alternatively, give us a call on 1-877-350-3490 if you would rather speak to someone directly about your project.
Alex Smith
Manager & Co-Owner Render 3D Quick
Alex Smith is a manager and co-owner at Render3DQuick, with over 6 years’ experience project managing their large team of 3D rendering professionals. Alex is obsessed with architecture and is a CAD design specialist in his own right and an expert in the field of architectural visualization, 3D rendering, and virtual reality tours.
As the first point of contact when you get in touch with Render3DQuick, Alex loves sharing his knowledge and answering any questions you may have about architectural visualization or the latest technologies and techniques they utilize.
Connect with Alex on LinkedIn here.