KISS solution
KISS solution
Single line diagram: A single line diagram is not a complex thing. I made some objects in MS Powerpoint PPT (panel, array, conductors, combiner) and I just copy and paste for the systems that I have designed.
Drawing panel layout: I capture an image from Google Earth (GE) and use the measurement tool in that app to get the roof dimensions. I create a panel of the appropriate size (you need a little trig here because the roof rake) and copy and paste. I scale it to 1/100 (e.g., a 40" panel in landscape is 0.4"; the other dimension on a 6 and 12 roof is 60" in plan view (0.6" in PPT) for a 67" panel, in Excel the calc is: Plan Dimension =Panel Length*cos(atan2(12,6)); for a 3 and 12 roof, Plan Dimension =Panel Length*cos(atan2(12,3)) ). Use the Align and Distribute tools in PPT to neaten up the drawing after the approximate layout is complete. Panel gets pasted on top of GE image.
Designing panel layout: National Renewable Energy Lab (NREL) has tools that allow you to compute power at various latitudes and array orientation. Then you have to consider the potential for shade and the use of string versus microinverters. For example, I have one string where a few panels have reduced output at times due to shading from a chimney, and another string with late afternoon shading, on a few panels, from a tree. I went with microinverters to eliminate and overall 10 - 20% reduction on those strings that would have resulted if I went with string inverters. I also like the microinverters because of the safety factor, ease of design and panel level monitoring.