The AridMetrics platform
A connected engineering environment for utility-scale solar.
Bring site conditions, plant geometry, irradiance, energy modelling and scenario analysis into one structured workflow. AridMetrics is being developed to connect engineering decisions with the assumptions and evidence behind them.
Under active development and validation
Physical system
SiteGeometryPhysical response
IrradianceEnergyEvaluation
OptimisationValidation
One physical system
Follow the dependencies. Keep the context.
A change in geometry can affect irradiance, energy response and the interpretation of a scenario. The platform direction connects these dependencies without hiding the boundary between modelling and measured evidence.
- 01
Site
Establish the physical and environmental context.
- 02
Geometry
Describe tracker configuration, pitch, GCR and neighbouring rows.
- 03
Irradiance
Account for orientation, shading, sky diffuse and ground-reflected light.
- 04
Energy
Connect temperature, DC conversion and AC/system behaviour.
- 05
Optimisation
Compare feasible design or operating decisions.
- 06
Validation
Evaluate model behaviour against suitable measured information.
One engineering workspace
Geometry at the centre. Assumptions within reach.
The workspace concept keeps the plant representation central. Site and modelling navigation sit alongside it; a contextual parameter panel describes the current configuration; a restrained comparison area keeps alternatives connected to the same physical system.
An illustrative workspace for keeping changed parameters, fixed constraints and comparison assumptions in view.
Design and operations
Two decision spaces. One physical foundation.
The first question is what the engineer is allowed to change. A new plant and an installed asset need different variable sets, even when they share the same modelling principles.
- Plant Design
- Before construction, explore layout, row spacing, GCR, tracker configuration and angle limits within the site boundary. The physical design itself remains open to review.
- Existing Assets
- Hold installed geometry and hardware fixed. Investigate tracker angle, backtracking and operating strategy within equipment limits, rather than treating land footprint or pitch as control variables.
Engineering philosophy
Engineering principles
A comparison should remain understandable after the chart is closed. The engineering direction prioritizes a traceable relationship between inputs, model choices, constraints and conclusions.
- 01Physics-based modelling
- Describe the mechanism being represented and its limits.
- 02Transparent assumptions
- Make inputs, conventions and simplifications explicit.
- 03Reproducible analysis
- Preserve enough context to repeat and review a comparison.
- 04Measured-data validation
- Assess model behaviour against evidence; this work is ongoing.
A defined research direction
Performance, constraints and the land beneath the plant.
The long-term direction extends beyond maximising a single output. It includes investigating energy performance alongside land utilisation, operating feasibility and environmental or land-surface trade-offs, with each objective and assumption made explicit.
Environmental and land-surface effects remain research questions, not established benefits.