Patent ID: 8818924

Claim:
An apparatus configured to automate the design of a solar collector installation at a physical worksite, comprising: at least one processor; and a memory comprising instructions that are executable by the at least one processor to implement a user interface; the user interface comprising: a representation of at least a portion of the physical worksite, the representation comprising at least one geometric object, wherein the geometric object corresponds to a physical feature at the physical worksite; a control operable to classify the geometric object as an instance of a particular feature classification selected from a plurality of defined feature classifications, wherein at least one of the plurality of pre-defined feature classifications is a property boundary, a real-estate parcel boundary, a zoning designation, a utility right-of-way, a flood plain, an environmentally-sensitive area, or a special seismic zone, wherein classification of the geometric object results in association of the geometric object with characteristics of the physical feature related to solar collector installation design; and a control operable to automatically generate a solar collector installation design for installation at the physical worksite in accordance with the geometric object, the feature classification, and the characteristics of the physical feature, wherein the control operable to automatically generate a solar collector installation design for installation at the physical worksite is further operable to generate the solar collector installation design in accordance with a set of pre-defined project design rules.