Patent ID: 8826163

Claim:
A system for configuring ballasted roof mounts of a solar array at an installation site comprising: a graphical user interface for creating a layout design of placement of a plurality of solar modules within the solar array comprising: a user-interactive roof grid representing a roof layout for placement of solar modules; one or more tool for setting an “on” position for placement of one or more solar modules within the roof grid and/or for setting an “off” position for removal of the one or more solar modules within the roof grid; a mechanism for capturing inputs for variable parameters of the installation site that influence expected loads on the ballasted roof mounts, the parameters comprising one or more of wind speed, building height, or ground snow load; and a server comprising at least one processor for calculating ballasting requirements to hold down the solar modules for the ballasted roof mounts of the solar array in view of the inputs for parameters of the installation site and the layout design of the plurality of solar modules, wherein calculating the ballasting requirements comprises determining weight required to hold down the solar modules based at least in part on the layout design and the inputs.