Contains Photon Data

(Module, Inverter)
Usable data increased by
storing Photon database

TM

Photovoltaic System Simulation Software

Solar Pro 4.6 Installation Guide

Contents

Introduction........................................................................................................................ 1
First Installation.................................................................................................................. 2
Start Solar Pro 4.6 Trial.................................................................................................... 3
Upgrade................................................................................................................................ 4
Appendix.............................................................................................................................. 8

Caution
Please do NOT modify, move and delete any data about Solar Pro.
The program may not work correctly.
 Installation Guide

Introduction
About Solar Pro™
Solar Pro™ is professional simulation software which has various functions such as
Location, PV Array and Shading.
Solar Pro contains four functions, 3D CAD, I-V Curve, Power, and Economic.

Protection Key is attached with Solar Pro. It has to be inserted to a USB port before
starting Solar Pro.

About Solar Pro 4.6 Trial

You can try Solar Pro 4.6 Trial. It is 30 days free trial. You can easily experience the
advanced simulation technology of Solar Pro.
If you want to use it after trial period, please purchase Solar Pro 4.6. For more detail,
please refer to Page 3.

Splash window

3D CAD window I-V Curve window Power Graph window

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 First Installation
1. Install Software
1） Double-click setup.exe in the folder.
(If you install with the CD-ROM, insert it to CD/DVD Drive to start installation.)
2） When the installation wizard starts, install following the instruction of the wizard.

2. Install Protection Key Driver

1） When the installation is finished, the following window is shown.

2） Click the checkbox of Install the Protection Key Driver, and then, click Finish.
3） The installation wizard of Protection Key Driver starts automatically.
Following the instruction of the wizard, install the driver software.
※ If installation does not work normally, you can click start button, and then,
select Solar Pro 4.6 English Edition. Click Protection Key Driver Install, and
finally, the installation wizard starts.

【Caution】
Do NOT insert Protection Key to the computer before installing Protection Key
Driver, or Protection Key may not be recognized normally when starting Solar Pro.

3. Insert Protection Key

1） Insert Protection Key to the computer.
※ Make sure to use dedicated Protection Key.
※ If you start Solar Pro without Protection Key, you can
use it as Solar Pro 4.6 Trial.

4. Start Solar Pro Protection Key

1） Double-click the shortcut icon of Solar Pro on desktop.

2） Solar Pro starts normally.

Shortcut Icon

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 Installation Guide

Start Solar Pro 4.6 Trial

You can try Solar Pro 4.6 Trial for 30 days after the first installation. For using Solar Pro
4.6 Trial, Protection Key is unnecessary. When you use it as Solar Pro 4.6 Trial, please
start the following procedures.
After 30 days trial, you can not use Solar Pro 4.6 Trial. If you continue to use it, please
purchase Solar Pro 4.6. While you use Solar Pro 4.6 Trial, Map service function and
Video output function is not available.

Setup Procedure of Solar Pro 4.6 Trial

1） After installing Solar Pro, start Solar Pro.
2） The following window is shown. Click Use Trial Version.

3） And next, the following window is shown. Click Install Solar Pro Trial Manager.

4） Click OK when you see the installation is completed.

5） The expiry date of Free Trial is shown. Check the date and click Use Trial
Version. (The window is shown every time you start Solar Pro 4.6 Trial.)

6） Solar Pro 4.6 Trial starts.

【Caution】
• When the trial period is expired, you cannot use the trial. Then, uninstallation
announcement of Solar Pro Trial Manager is shown.
• During trial period, when you start Solar Pro with Protection Key, uninstallation
announcement is shown on Others menu.

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Upgrade
Before Upgrading
The operation flow of the upgrade is as below. After finishing these operation, you
can continue to use the setting files created by old software. Some steps in the flow
can be varied. It depends on the version of the software which you already have.
Please check the version number and the steps to be done before upgrading.
(In this document, "software" means Solar Pro and Protection Key Driver.)

【Caution】
Once Solar Pro files save or overwrite in Solar Pro 4.6, they cannot use
in old version of Solar Pro.

Operation Flow of Upgrade

1. Copy Configuration Information Files

2. Install New Software

3. Start Solar Pro

4. Overwrite Configuration Information Files

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 Installation Guide

　
Upgrade Procedure
1. Copy Configuration Information Files
Since you can continue to use the configuration information file created using .
Solar Pro old version, please copy them following procedure before uninstalling.
(There are cases which some files in the list may not be created.)
※ In the following operations, if the file name extension is not displayed, change the
display setting from "Folder Options" etc. of your computer.

1） Open the folder which stores configuration information files. Please make sure of
your OS and refer to the folder path in the following table.

■ Location of Solar Pro 4.0 - 4.2 configuration information file（Depends on OS bits）

32bit： C:\Users\<user name>\AppData\Local\VirtualStore\Program Files\Solar Pro Ver.4
64bit： C:\Users\<user name>\AppData\Local\VirtualStore\Program Files (x86)\Solar Pro Ver.4
※ If installation destination has been changed or User Account Control (UAC) is invalid,
　 please open directly the installation folder, which stores the files.

Configuration Information Name File Name

Module Database MODULE.MDL
Inverter Database inverters.inv (in ver. 4.0, inverters.csv)
Standard Initial Cost Template InitCostListSpl.tpl
Custom Initial Cost Template InitCostListDtl.tpl
Standard Running Cost Template RunningCostListSpl.tpl
Custom Running Cost Template RunningCostListDtl.tpl
Other various setting files SETTING.SET
For Solor Pro 4.0, change the file name extension of inverter.csv to inverters.inv.

■ Location of Solar Pro 4.3 / 4.5 configuration information file

4.3： C:\Users\<user name>\Documents\Solar Pro 4.3\Settings
4.5： C:\Users\<user name>\Documents\Solar Pro 4.5\Settings

Configuration Information Name File Name

Module Database MODULE.MDL
Inverter Database inverters.inv
Cost list InitCostList.tpl
Standard Running Cost Template RunningCostListSpl.tpl
Custom Running Cost Template RunningCostListDtl.tpl
Other various setting files SETTING.SET

2） Select the files to migrate to new version and copy to another folder (named
backup folder in this document).

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2. Install New Software

1） Remove Protection Key if it is inserted.

2） Double-click setup.exe in the folder.
3） When the installation wizard starts, install following the instruction of the wizard.
4） When the installation is finished, the following window is shown. Please Click the
checkbox of Install the Protection Key Driver and then, click Finish..

5） The installation wizard of Protection Key Driver starts automatically.

Following the instruction of the wizard, install the driver software.
※ If installation does not work normally, you can click start button, and then,
select Solar Pro 4.6 English Edition. Click Protection Key Driver Install, and
finally, the installation wizard starts.

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 Installation Guide

　
3. Start Solar Pro
1） Double-click the shortcut icon of Solar Pro on desktop.
2） Solar Pro starts normally.

Shortcut Icon

4. Overwrite Configuration Information Files

1） It is necessary to shut down Solar Pro.
2） Open the backup folder (*1), and copy all of files stored in the folder.
3） Open Documents folder.
4） Open Settings from Solar Pro 4.6E to paste copied files.
5） If there is a Tree file created by Solar Pro 4.2 - 4.5 copy the file and paste to Tree
Templates.
(*1) What you created in Page 5 .

－7－
Appendix
User Directory
Solar Pro 4.6 creates Solar Pro 4.6E folder in Documents folder to store configuration
information files which created while using Solar Pro.
Each folder path and folder name described below can not be changed.

Solar Pro 4.6

Meteo
Stores Meteorological Data which imported from the outside.
When Meteorological Data is imported from meteonorm, SolarGIS or NSRDB, it is
stored in this folder.

Samples

Solar Pro File

Stores sample files of object which created by 3D CAD and various calculation
setting information.

Report Template
Stores sample template files of integrated report.The file extension is ".spt".

DXF Draft
Stores sample files of draft of House and Building which used in Roof Plan Input.

Map
Stores sample files of Map which can be displayed on 3D CAD as a background.

Real Weather Data

Stores sample files of Real Weather Data which can be used when simulating.

Settings
Stores Basic Setting file, Economy Setting file, Module Database, Inverter Database.

TreeTemplates
Stores Tree Template file which created by 3D CAD. The file extension is ".xml". Please
migrate all of Tree Template files which created while using old version to this folder.

－8－
 Installation Guide

　
Uninstall Solar Pro
1） If necessary, copy and save the Solar Pro 4.6E folder where the configuration.
　 information file is saved.
2） Click start button and Select Solar Pro 4.6 English Edition to click Uninstall.
3） Uninstallation is started automatically. Uninstall the following dialog.
4） Open Uninstall a program from Control Panel.
5） Select Sentinel System Driver Installer from the list and click to start uninstallation.
6） Restart the computer.

Information on Update
On the website, we inform you when we update Solar Pro and PV Module.
The update files can be downloaded from the website.
Please visit our website.
https://www.lapsys.co.jp/english/products/download.html

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Apr 18, 2019 Copyright Ⓒ 1997- Laplace Systems Co., Ltd. All right reserved.