Engineering workspace for battery storage

From BESS requirements to an electrical design you can inspect, refine and document.

Bring sizing, block diagrams, site planning, cable schedules and engineering deliverables together in one connected project workspace.

SizingDiagramLayoutCablesProcurementLessons
Scroll to follow the project
One connected path

Five stages, one project workspace

Changes in sizing feed the downstream views, so you spend less time moving numbers between disconnected spreadsheets and documents.

1

Define

Enter energy, power, duration and block-level design choices.

2

Connect

Inspect sizing results and the electrical topology.

3

Place & route

Explore layouts, feeder numbering and cable routes.

4

Review & document

Check schedules, refine assumptions, prepare datasheets and procurement outputs.

5

Carry forward

Capture lessons with their source project for the next job.

Illustrative layout. Planners are engineering heuristics, not a global optimum.

Site layout & cabling

See the spatial picture, not just the table

Place equipment with several planners, edit the physical layout, add roads, and route cables. Compare cable lengths between feeder-numbering modes once you have run both.

  • Warnings when placed quantities differ from sizing
  • Reposition PECs and their auxiliary transformers
  • Calculated loads, lengths and checks with per-row overrides
Inside the workspace

Inspect every number

Otoplan · Sample project (illustrative data)
100 MW
4 h
0.95 —
33 kV
DC block ▾
BESS blocks0
Inverters0
Transformers0

Calculated from the design basis. An editable starting point, not a certified final design.

BESS blockInverterTransformerRMUMV switchgear

Topology follows the sizing inputs. Supports different tagging conventions.

CableFrom → ToLengthConductorCheck
F-01Block 01–08 → PEC 1312 m3×1C 240 mm² AlPass
F-02Block 09–16 → PEC 1388 m3×1C 300 mm² AlPass
F-03Block 17–24 → PEC 2451 m3×1C 300 mm² AlReview
AUX-1Aux. TR → LV panel96 m4C 95 mm² CuPass

Illustrative values. Per-row overrides stay editable; export to PDF or Excel.

Sample requirement100 MWh usable energy·2.0 ha available area·3 products compared
CharacteristicExample AExample BExample C
Energy per block (DC)3.72 MWh5.01 MWh6.14 MWh
Dimensions (L × W × H)6.06 × 2.44 × 2.90 m6.10 × 2.50 × 3.00 m6.10 × 2.44 × 2.90 m
Weight36 t40 t44 t
Clearances (front / sides)1.5 / 1.0 m1.2 / 0.8 m1.5 / 1.2 m
Auxiliary power (peak)18 kW24 kW27 kW
Energy per footprint0.25 MWh/m²0.33 MWh/m²0.41 MWh/m²
Blocks for 100 MWh272017
Site fit (2.0 ha)FitsFitsTight
Best value in row

Example values for illustration only. In the application, the comparison is drawn from your shared product catalogue and its datasheets, so values are only as current as those entries.

Engineering deliverables

Working documents, ready for review

Every output stays editable and exportable. These are working documents for engineering review, not a substitute for project approval or supplier verification.

  • Datasheets you can review, edit and export
  • Design-linked equipment list, RFQ packages and bid evaluation
  • EPC Zone scope of work
  • Cable schedule exported to PDF or Excel

Datasheets

Component documents you can review, edit and export.

Procurement

Equipment list, RFQ packages, technical bid evaluation and a supplier database.

BESS comparator

Compare two to five catalogue products with a simplified site-fit view.

Lessons learned

Turn an issue into reusable project knowledge

Log the issue, root cause and mitigation, with area, severity, status and tags. Each lesson records its source project and stays searchable when another project is open.

CablingSeverity: MediumStatus: Open
Issue
Placed quantities did not match sizing after a layout change.
Root cause
Block count was updated without re-running the placement check.
Mitigation
Review the quantity warning before routing cables.
Source project
Sample project · ID 0001
Built for the team

One workspace, four perspectives

Design engineers

A fast route from MW and MWh requirements to a coherent one-line concept and cable design basis.

EPC & BoP teams

Site and electrical information to build a scope of work and equipment list.

Procurement

Design-linked equipment lists, RFQ packages and supplier offer review.

Reviewers & managers

Visibility into assumptions, comparisons, checks and captured lessons.

Trust & limitations

Engineers stay in control

Calculations depend on the project design basis and need qualified review plus vendor or study data.

What you can rely on today

  • Editable values and per-row overrides
  • Visible check results, not hidden logic
  • Exports for engineering review
Future direction

Not part of the current product

AI-assisted design review, automated lesson matching, and company-level roles and approvals are planned directions, not current features.

FAQ

Common questions

How should I use the calculated results?

Otoplan gives you an editable starting point for engineering review. The results follow from the design basis you enter, so sizing, cable ratings and layouts should be confirmed by a qualified engineer against project, vendor and study data before they are relied on.

How are layouts and cable routes produced?

The layout planners and cable routing apply engineering heuristics to give you a practical, reviewable proposal. They do not claim a mathematically optimal solution, and you can reposition equipment and re-run the routing as the design develops.

How current is the product comparison?

The comparator draws on the entries in your shared product catalogue and the datasheets behind them. We recommend confirming key values with the manufacturer before using them in a bid or a design decision.

Can I continue in the tools my team already uses?

Yes. The cable schedule exports to PDF or Excel, and datasheets and the EPC scope of work can be exported as editable documents for review and circulation.

How are projects and users organised today?

Otoplan is currently shared within a single installation. Company-level accounts, roles and approval workflows are not yet available. If they matter for your team, please get in touch so we can understand your requirements.

See the workflow on a sample project

Request a walkthrough and we will show how inputs become a reviewable electrical design.