Solar & BESS Concept Design for Early Project Development

Helping renewable developers evaluate new site opportunities and project concepts for solar farms, hybrid PV + BESS, and stand-alone battery projects.

Have a site in mind? Send a site boundary or KMZ and we can quickly explore what could fit.

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Trusted By
Renewable Energy Developers

What developers say

(Swipe to see more)

  • Terrain Solar Logo

    Terrain Solar

    PROJECT: Solar Farm + BESS portfolio development
    Scope: Preliminary design and layout optimisation during the site origination process

    Early-stage solar farm layout optimisation across multiple development sites that ultimately formed part of a portfolio later acquired by AGL.

    “We have used Jake for preliminary design and layout work during site origination, and to help refine/optimise designs as we iterate throughout the greater development process. He is very responsive and collaborative, and his work has been invaluable to our decision-making process.”

    Craig Peters
    General Manager
    Terrain Solar

  • Watts Advisory

    PROJECT: Hybrid PV + BESS Concept Evaluation
    Scope: Evaluation of 1P vs 2P tracker configurations and AC-coupled vs DC-coupled storage options

    Early-stage concept evaluation of hybrid solar and battery configurations to understand how different technology choices affected the overall project concept.

    “We worked with Jake on an early-stage hybrid PV and BESS concept where we explored a range of technical approaches, including 1P versus 2P tracker configurations and both AC-coupled and DC-coupled storage options. Jake helped us iterate through numerous layout scenarios to understand how different design choices impacted the overall project.”

    James Atkinson
    Watts Advisory

  • G8 Energy Logo

    G8 Energy

    PROJECT: Stand-Alone BESS Feasibility Analysis
    Scope: Layout optimisation for a constrained site to achieve target capacity

    Evaluation of multiple BESS layout scenarios to determine how a stand-alone battery system could be configured within a constrained site.

    “Jake assisted our team with early-stage feasibility analysis for a stand-alone BESS development. The site presented some challenging geometry, and Jake worked through multiple layout iterations to explore how the battery system could be configured within the available area. Through this process, we refined the layout and achieved the capacity we were aiming for.”

    Robert Ibrahim
    Project Developer
    G8 Energy

Questions We Help Renewable Developers Answer

Could this site support a viable solar farm?

How much solar capacity could realistically fit on this land?

Could the project include battery storage?

Would a hybrid PV + BESS configuration make sense here?

How does equipment selection affect site capacity?

What project configuration makes the most sense for this site?

Identify the best sites and optimise designs in less time, at a fraction of the cost.

Rapid layout iteration allows multiple solar and battery configurations to be evaluated quickly, helping developers identify the most promising project concepts.

  • See how large your solar farm and/or BESS will be in MWAC & MWDC, working around keep out areas

  • See how much energy the system can expect to generate.

  • Calculate the amount of cut and fill earthworks required to meet manufacturer tolerances for slope and undulation

  • Let’s consider all the options for the system’s land use for a single parcel or various combinations of parcels

  • Maximise BESS profits through arbitrage strategies

Who We Typically Work With

  • Project Developers

    Successful prospecting means quickly creating, evaluating and comparing numerous sites and designs to help determine the best projects to develop.  If you find yourself short on staff, time or advanced software, we can help.  SolarFarm Feasibility leverages RatedPower software to quickly design and evaluate a wide range of scenarios to help build a portfolio worth pursuing.

  • Land Owners

    Curious if your property is a good candidate for a solar farm and/or BESS project?  If so, let us do an analysis for you to determine the system size you could fit and the energy revenue you could generate, from solar, battery or both.  An analysis by SolarFarm Feasibility can also serve as a detailed second opinion if you've been approached by developers enquiring about your property.

  • Real Estate Agents

    As a Real Estate company, you may have access to prime sites for Solar/BESS projects, but lack the resources to help you quantify what an opportunity might be worth.  We can help you do your homework before approaching potential clients. Presenting professional outputs and key project metrics will show you've put in some effort, which helps in building credibility and trust.

  • Solar and BESS Suppliers

    Creating layouts and solar yield estimates for customers can eat up engineering bandwidth for manufacturers. Customers often rely on these initial designs and manufacturers often carry out this work to promote their equipment.  Manufacturers, please contact us If you'd like to outsource some of this early-stage design work, freeing up your engineering team for more important tasks.

What we deliver

  • Parametric Analysis

    To ensure we are finding the best designs, we will evaluate the impacts of varying key site parameters such as pitch, GCR, azimuth, tilt angle (for fixed-tilt systems), string length, DC/AC Ratio, etc. Data-driven designs are more accurate than simply following "rule of thumb" guidelines.

  • Explore All the Options

    Relying on RatedPower software, we can quickly generate and compare a wide variety of scenarios. By examining various combinations of parcels, keep-out areas, earthworks constraints, / BESS parameters, etc., we are more likely to create a design that produces the best outcome.

  • The Impact of BESS

    Solar farms today often include a BESS (Battery Energy Storage System), which can reduce energy curtailment, add flexibility to the grid connection and generate revenue. By easily comparing the impacts of varying the BESS charge/discharge profile, we can maximise the value of your BESS investment.

  • Comprehensive Outputs

    We generate all the documentation required to present a clear picture of your top designs - great for understanding your own project or for presenting professional-looking deliverables to a client.

    (Register below to receive example outputs.)

  • ● Design Report (PDF / DOCX)

    ● Energy Yield Report (PDF / DOCX)

    ● Interconnection Facility Report (PDF / DOCX)

    ● BESS Design Report (PDF / DOCX) goes here

  • ● General Layout (DXF/PDF/KML)

    ● Simplified General Layout (KML)

    ● 3D Scene (for use in PVSyst) (ZIP)

    ● MV Single Line Diagrams (PDF/DXF)

    ● LV Single Line Diagrams (PDF/DXF)

    ● MV-LV Single Line Diagrams (PDF/DXF)

    ● Topography Analysis (Terrain Slopes) (PDF/DXF/KML)

    ● Structure profiles (ZIP)

    ● Interconnection Facility SLD (PDF/DXF)

    ● Interconnection Facility Layout (PDF/DXF)

    ● BESS General Layout (PDF/DXF/KML)

    ● BESS MVLV SLD (PDF/DXF)

  • ● Project Sheet (XLSX)

    ● Bill of Quantities (XLSX)

    ● Financial Analysis (XLSX)

    ● Energy Yield Results (XLSX)

    ● Listing of Cables (XLSX)

    ● Listing of Posts (XLSX)

    ● Terrain XYZ (CSV)

  • ● WECC Equivalent (XLSX/RAW)

    ● Full AC Model (RAW)

How We Use Rapid Design Iteration to Deliver Better Results

At SolarFarm Feasibility, our process is built around speed, precision, and flexibility in the early stages of project design. By leveraging tools like RatedPower, we're able to explore multiple layout options quickly, refine designs down to the smallest details, and confidently evaluate both solar and BESS systems.

This approach allows us to provide clearer insights, better recommendations, and more value to our clients — all while reducing time and cost in the feasibility stage. In this video, you'll see exactly how we use this process to deliver better outcomes for every project we support.

Want to see the full story? Watch it on RatedPower's website →

Want to see what this could look like for your project?

Get in touch to discuss your feasibility study

Start Your Feasibility Study →

Cost and timing

By using RatedPower software, we can turn around an early-stage solar farm and or BESS analysis in less time at a fraction of the cost of traditional methods.  Contact us to discuss your project requirements, pricing and timing.

Recent Work

Coal giant AGL snaps up battery and solar developers with pipeline of more than eight gigawatts
Find out more →

Terrain Solar and Ratch to develop 152MW solar farm and battery project in NSW
Find out more →

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Have a site you’re evaluating? Feel free to send a boundary or KMZ, and we can take a quick look. You may also contact us using the details below.