PAN files (modules)
How to upload a manufacturer PAN file to use a specific solar module in SolarLayout.
A PAN file is the industry-standard format for solar module specifications. Most major manufacturers publish PAN files on their download pages alongside the datasheet — Waaree, Vikram, Adani Solar, Premier Energies, JinkoSolar, LONGi, Trina, JA Solar all do.
Upload the PAN file once and SolarLayout reads the module's identifying, electrical, geometric, and bifacial characteristics from it.
Where to get a PAN file
The cleanest source is the manufacturer's product page. Search
for the exact module SKU (e.g., "Waaree Mono PERC 540W PAN") and
look for a .PAN download next to the datasheet PDF.
Common locations:
- Waaree —
waaree.com/products→ module → Downloads → PAN. - Adani Solar —
adanisolar.com→ product → Downloads. - Vikram Solar — request PAN via the Vikram tech support form (not always on the public site).
- JinkoSolar / LONGi / Trina / JA Solar — partner / installer portal, or via your local distributor.
If you can't find a PAN file for the module you need:
- The manufacturer's local technical / application engineering team usually has them — email them.
- Larger Indian EPCs maintain internal PAN libraries.
- As a last resort, the SolarLayout managed catalog may have a similar module — see System vs User libraries.
How to upload
Open the Resource library
In the Home sidebar, click Resource library. The page opens with the Modules (.PAN) tab selected and both managed catalog rows and any of your previous uploads listed together.
Click Upload .PAN
The button is in the table toolbar, top-right. A native file picker
opens, filtered to .PAN files (case-insensitive).
Select the file and wait for parse
SolarLayout reads the file on the server, extracts the fields below, and adds the new row to your account library. The button shows "Uploading…" while the request is in flight.
The file size cap is 256 KiB — well above the typical 1–4 KB
of a .PAN file, but enough to catch the common mistake of picking
a datasheet PDF by accident.
Confirm the new row in the table
The uploaded module appears at the top of the Modules (.PAN) tab (no Managed chip — it's in your tier). Click the row to see the parsed values; sanity-check against the datasheet before using it in a project.
What SolarLayout reads from a PAN file
The PAN format is a key=value text file inside PVObject_=pvModule
blocks. SolarLayout's importer extracts these fields:
| PAN field | Used for |
|---|---|
Manufacturer (required) | Display + search |
Model (required) | Display + search |
PNom (required) | Module Pnom in Wp — capacity calculation |
Width, Height | Module geometry — table layout, GCR |
Weight | Display only |
NCelS × NCelP | Cell count (e.g. 132 for half-cut twin) |
Technol | Cell technology (mtSiMono, mtSiPoly, etc.) |
muPmpReq | Power temperature coefficient (%/°C) |
Isc, Voc, Imp, Vmp | STC electrical characteristics |
BifacialityFactor | Bifacial rear-side production factor |
VMaxIEC | Max system voltage (V) |
YearBeg | First manufacturing year |
Manufacturer, Model, and PNom are the only required fields —
if any of those is missing the upload is rejected. Every other field
is optional and is stored as null if absent.
Other PAN fields (IAM curves, low-irradiance behaviour, etc.) are not read by v0.1 of SolarLayout. They're preserved in the original file (still downloadable from the catalog), and may be used by future features such as the energy-yield model.
Common PAN upload issues
If your upload is rejected:
- "Not a valid PAN file" — the file doesn't contain
PVObject_=pvModule. Either the file is the wrong type (often an inverter.ONDmis-named, or a.PANexported from a non-standard tool). Re-export the file or get a fresh one from the manufacturer. - "Required field missing:
Manufacturer/Model/PNom" — the file is structurally valid but is missing one of the three required identifiers. Open it in a text editor (PAN is plain text) and check the top of thepvModuleblock; if the value is there but mis-named, the file is non-standard and you should ask the manufacturer for a clean export. - "
<filename>is<size>— too large for a .PAN file" — files over 256 KiB are rejected with this message..PANfiles are 1–4 KB; if you're seeing this you almost certainly picked a datasheet PDF or other document by mistake.
See Uploading your own hardware for the general workflow.