Uploading your own hardware

Most users only need to upload hardware when the SolarLayout managed catalog doesn't have the exact module or inverter they need. The per-format details (where to source the file, what gets parsed out) live on PAN files and OND files — this page covers the general workflow and the upload failures you might hit.

The general workflow

File compatibility

SolarLayout reads the industry-standard PAN and OND text formats used by every major module and inverter manufacturer. The parser is format-version-agnostic: it walks the PVObject_=pvModule (for .PAN) or PVObject_=pvGInverter (for .OND) blocks and reads named fields. As long as the file has the right object header and the required identifiers (Manufacturer, Model, and PNom for modules / PNomConv for inverters), it imports.

What gets validated on upload

The importer's checks are deliberately narrow:

• Right object header — the file must contain PVObject_=pvModule (for .PAN) or PVObject_=pvGInverter (for .OND). Files without it are rejected with "Not a valid PAN file" or "Not a valid OND file".
• Required identifiers present — Manufacturer, Model, and the primary rating (PNom / PNomConv) must be readable. Other fields are optional and stored as null if absent.
• Size cap — under 256 KiB.

What's not validated in v0.1:

• No physical-plausibility check — a 10 kWp single module or a 100 MW inverter will import without complaint if the file parses. Sanity-check parsed values against the datasheet before using the row in a project.
• No duplicate detection — uploading the same Manufacturer + Model twice creates two rows. The second upload is not blocked. Use the row-action menu (three-dot icon on user-tier rows) to delete the older copy if you want to clean up.

Common upload failures

"Not a valid PAN file" / "Not a valid OND file"

The file doesn't contain the expected object header. Causes:

• The file is the wrong type for the tab — a .PAN clicked from the Inverters tab, or vice versa.
• The file was exported from a tool that uses a non-standard format.
• The file is corrupted.

Fix:

1. Confirm the file extension matches the tab.
2. Re-download from the manufacturer.
3. Open the file in a plain-text editor and check the first line — it should contain something like PVObject_=pvModule (for .PAN) or PVObject_=pvGInverter (for .OND).

"Required field missing: <field>"

The file is structurally valid but doesn't include one of the three required identifiers — Manufacturer, Model, PNom (modules) or PNomConv (inverters).

Fix: open the file in a text editor and look for the named field. .PAN and .OND files are plain text. If the field is present but renamed (some old / non-standard exports use different keys), the cleanest path is to ask the manufacturer for a fresh standard export.

"<filename> is <size> — too large for a .PAN/.OND file"

The file is over 256 KiB. .PAN and .OND files are typically 1–4 KB — a multi-MB file is almost always a datasheet PDF or other document picked by mistake.

Fix: confirm the file extension and contents. If you actually do need to upload a very large hardware file (rare; we haven't seen one in the wild), email support with the file attached.

When to ask for help

The pattern that says "this needs help, not more reading":

• Repeated upload failures with the same file across multiple re-downloads.
• File from a major manufacturer (Waaree, Vikram, Adani, Premier, Sungrow, Sineng, etc.) that SolarLayout can't read — that's a bug we want to know about, not a user problem.
• Hardware you need but can't find a PAN/OND for anywhere.

In any of those, email support with the file attached. Most uploads we can't read get fixed in the next release.