Measure shading and quantify its impact on PV production
Capture a horizon profile with your smartphone and calculate shading losses and estimated PV production. In the same study, plan the module layout, analyse self-consumption and compare financial returns with or without battery storage.
Capture the site's shading profile
Azimutis is a PV shading analysis tool for solar installers and engineering firms. Use the camera and sensors of a compatible smartphone or tablet to record the azimuth and elevation angles of trees, buildings and other obstacles.
Check calibration, review the captured points and correct them where needed. Read the horizon profile against the sun path diagram to see when obstacles block direct sunlight. Learn how survey calibration and measurement checks work.
An additional option: height simulation
Assess shading at roof height from a ground-level survey, without climbing onto the roof.
Estimate shading losses and PV production
Use the horizon profile with the project's orientation, tilt and PV capacity to calculate shading losses and estimated production. Review hourly production to see how the project's output varies over time.
Keep the calculation assumptions with the results so you can explain the estimated effect of shading to the customer and compare project variants.
Define the usable surface, account for obstacles and margins, and compare portrait or landscape module layouts. Use the layout to estimate installable PV capacity.
Continue with a consumption profile to estimate self-consumption, energy exported to the grid and savings. Compare the estimated financial returns with and without battery storage using the selected battery parameters.
Prepare, review and share the study
Work on the same project in the mobile app and the Azimutis web portal, with your data kept in sync.
Azimutis analysis interface. Results depend on the selected project and calculation assumptions.
Near shading, horizon shading and the assessment point
Near shading comes from nearby obstacles such as chimneys, trees, parapets and adjacent buildings. Far shading comes from distant terrain, tree lines or the skyline.
A horizon profile describes obstacles from a particular assessment point. For nearby obstacles, the profile can change across a roof: choose representative survey points for the surfaces being studied.
A horizon profile alone does not describe the electrical behaviour of partially shaded cells, bypass diodes or strings. Distinguish the project's shading estimate from a detailed electrical mismatch simulation.
Assess a clear site without a shading survey
On a site without significant shading obstacles, use No Shading mode and continue with module layout, production, self-consumption and reporting.
Frequently asked questions
What does a PV shading analysis show?
It estimates how obstacles affect the solar resource and PV production for the project assumptions. Azimutis connects the measured horizon profile with shading losses, production estimates and the rest of the PV study.
Can I correct the horizon profile after the survey?
Yes. You can review and adjust the captured points in Azimutis before calculating shading losses and PV production.
What is the difference between a horizon profile and a sun path diagram?
A horizon profile records obstacle elevation angles by azimuth. A sun path diagram shows the sun's trajectory. Reading them together helps identify the times and seasons when obstacles block direct sunlight.
What else can I analyse in the same project?
Azimutis combines PV production, module layout, installable capacity, self-consumption, battery storage and economic analysis in the same study. Work on the same synchronised project in the mobile app and web portal, then share PDF reports or data exports.
Does every project need a horizon profile survey?
No. If no significant obstacle affects the site, you can use No Shading mode and continue with the PV assessment.
