Automated solar collector installation design including version management

A method for determining solar collector placement at a worksite, comprising:

• generating, with a processor, a displayable representation of the worksite in a user interface, the displayable representation of the worksite being associated with one of a plurality of different versions of project state information, the representation including feature properties corresponding to physical features of the worksite and a solar collector installation layout including solar collectors arranged on at least one surface of the worksite based on a plurality of design rules, the plurality of design rules including a rule prohibiting placement of the solar collectors within a predetermined area of air conditioning units,
• presenting, with the processor, the plurality of different versions of the project state information that are available for selection on the displayable representation of the worksite, each of the plurality of different versions of the project state information including a respective set of user-defined design preferences, feature properties, and project properties, each of the plurality of different versions corresponding to a respective solar collection installation layout, wherein the one of the plurality of different versions of the project state information shares least some of the project state information with at least another one of the plurality of different versions, the shared project state information is maintained in a common memory location, and the one of the plurality of different versions is concurrently maintained in the common memory location and includes a reference to the shared project state information,
• generating, with the processor, controls associated with generating a new version of the project state information, the new version of the project state information being selected from the plurality of different versions of the project state information presented in the user interface,
• generating a summary of the new version of the project state information, the summary including comparative information of the new version and the one of the plurality of different versions, the comparative information including the solar collection installation layout of the new version and of the one of the plurality of different versions,
• determining, with the processor, one or more different versions of the project state information of the plurality of different versions that share the shared project state information,
• receiving, with the processor, a user input in the user interface indicating a change to the respective user-defined design preferences, feature properties, or project properties included in the shared project state information, the change being recorded by taking a snapshot of the one or more different versions of the project state information,
• in response to the determination of the one or more different versions of the project state information,
• accessing, using the reference to the shared project state information, the common memory location, and
• automatically recalculating, using the change to the shared project state information, the respective solar collector installation layout associated with the determined one or more different versions of the project state information, and
• receiving a second user input in the user interface indicating undoing the change to the respective user-defined design preferences, feature properties, or project properties included in the shared project state information based on the snapshot.

A non-transitory computer-readable medium encoded with computer-readable instructions thereon that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform a method comprising:

• generating a displayable representation of the worksite in a user interface, the displayable representation of the worksite being associated with one of a plurality of different versions of project state information, the representation including feature properties corresponding to physical features of the worksite and a solar collector installation layout including solar collectors arranged on at least one surface of the worksite based on a plurality of design rules, the plurality of design rules including a rule prohibiting placement of the solar collectors within a predetermined area of air conditioning units,
• presenting the plurality of different versions of the project state information that are available for selection on the displayable representation of the worksite, each of the plurality of different versions of the project state information including a respective set of user-defined design preferences, feature properties, and project properties, each of the plurality of different versions corresponding to a respective solar collection installation layout, wherein the one of the plurality of different versions of the project state information shares at least some of the project state information with at least another one of the plurality of different versions, the shared project state information is maintained in a common memory location, and the one of the plurality of different versions is concurrently maintained in the common memory location and includes a reference to the shared project state information,
• generating controls associated with generating a new version of the project state information, the new version of the project state information being selected from the plurality of different versions of the project state information presented in the user interface,
• generating a summary of the new version of the project state information, the summary including comparative information of the new version and the one of the plurality of different versions, the comparative information including the solar collection installation layout of the new version and of the one of the plurality of different versions,
• determining one or more different versions of the project state information of the plurality of different versions that share the shared project state information,
• receiving a user input in the user interface indicating a change to the respective user-defined design preferences, feature properties, or project properties included in the shared project state information, the change being recorded by taking a snapshot of the one or more different versions of the project state information,
• in response to the determination of the one or more different versions of the project state information,
• accessing, using the reference to the shared project state information, the common memory location, and
• automatically recalculating, using the change to the shared project state information, the respective solar collector installation layout associated with the determined one or more different versions of the project state information, and
• receive a second user input in the user interface indicating undoing the change to the respective user-defined design preferences, feature properties, or project properties included in the shared project state information based on the snapshot.