From terrain to inverters: Moving cost levers in PV project design

Designing large-scale solar projects requires balancing multiple perspectives, from civil and structural engineering to electrical design and performance modeling. The design software PVFARM brings these disciplines together, helping project teams analyze trade-offs early in the process and identify which technical decisions truly move the needle on cost and performance.

A key feature of the software is the exploration of so-called “Needle Movers”, critical factors that have a disproportionate impact on the overall project outcome. Whether it’s evaluating groundworks, comparing central versus string inverter layouts, or optimizing block design, PVFARM highlights the most influential choices and guides developers toward the most economical and effective workflows.

In this webinar, Maksim Markevich, CTO of PVFARM, will demonstrate how this works in practice. We will look at how early design decisions affect project costs, how to recognize and manage the most important “Needle Movers,” and how the software adapts workflows to each project context. Real-world examples will show how developers can streamline planning and design phases, avoid costly pitfalls, and make better-informed decisions before moving into detailed engineering.

pv magazine Webinar content:

• Cross-disciplinary insights from layout modeling, civil, electrical, and structural engineering and how they interact in early design.
• How project context (boundaries, terrain, requirements) shapes which “Needle Movers” matter most and defines the most effective workflows.
• Practical examples of early-phase design exploration in PVFARM to balance cost efficiency, performance, and constructability.
• Q&A

Questions can be submitted beforehand in the comments window when registering or in the chat during the live webinar. The webinar will be moderated by Marian Willuhn, senior editor at pv magazine.

Registration for this pv magazine Webinar is free of charge.