Interactive 3D Visualization and Configuration of Solar Panel Layouts in XR

Demo image of AR application with scene visualized on a tabletop

Bridging Digital Planning and Real-World Implementation Through Immersive XR

The transition to renewable energy demands accessible planning tools that effectively communicate solar panel designs to diverse stakeholders. Traditional approaches rely on static 2D renderings or limited 3D visualizations, which fail to convey critical environmental factors such as shading patterns, sun paths, and spatial relationships—creating barriers to effective decision-making and collaborative design.

In collaboration with Solextron AG, I contributed to developing a comprehensive dual-platform XR system that addresses these limitations through immersive AR and VR applications for solar panel layout visualization. Our solution seamlessly integrates with existing design workflows while providing stakeholders with intuitive tools for spatial assessment and collaborative planning.

AR workflow showing QR code scanning, surface detection with visual guidance, 3D scene augmentation, and detail view

Unified Architecture for Scalable Development

Our system features a unified architecture that supports both AR and VR applications through a shared codebase, significantly reducing development time and ensuring consistent functionality across platforms. Built on Unity with strong cross-platform support, the architecture provides specialized modules for geometric modeling, visualization, interaction logic, project management, networking, and real-time sun simulation.

The system interfaces with Solextron's existing web-based 3D solar design tool, accessing project data via RESTful APIs. Fetched scene data includes geospatial coordinates, mesh data for buildings and panels, and environmental elements for accurate shadow simulation. Lightweight deserialization recreates 3D models, which are then rendered using custom mesh builders and optimized lighting logic.

Augmented Reality: Accessible Spatial Visualization

The AR component transforms mobile devices into spatial viewers for interactive solar layout exploration. Built using Unity 2022.3 LTS and Vuforia Engine, the system provides markerless tracking, geographic data integration, and real-time sun simulation.

Key AR Features:

• QR Code Integration: Seamless project loading from Solextron's web platform
• Geographic Context: Dynamic terrain data from ArcGIS services for spatial accuracy
• Intuitive Interaction: Pinch-to-zoom, drag, and tap controls for natural exploration
• Mobile Optimization: Custom shaders and static batching for consistent performance across midrange Android devices
• Real-time Sun Simulation: Accurate shadow visualization based on geographic location and time

Detailed view of AR application showing solar panel layout on tabletop surface

Virtual Reality: Immersive Collaborative Environments

The VR component complements the AR application by providing immersive collaborative environments for detailed spatial assessment. Designed for standalone VR headsets (Meta Quest series), the system shares core data pipelines and mesh generation features with the AR counterpart, ensuring platform consistency.

Advanced VR Capabilities:

• Multi-user Collaboration: Photon PUN2 networking enables real-time shared sessions
• Synchronized Interactions: All customization events synchronize via Remote Procedural Calls (RPCs)
• Performance Optimization: Custom GPU instancing shaders render thousands of solar panel support structures with minimal overhead
• Intuitive Navigation: Thumbstick-controlled teleportation prevents motion sickness while enabling large-scale scene exploration
• Material Customization: Ray-cast pointer interactions for configuring roof materials, facade options, and solar panel styles

VR screenshots showcasing controller menu, building selection, and multi-user collaboration with visible participant avatars

Technicals and Performance

Our VR system achieves stable 90-120fps frame rates on Meta Quest devices through efficient mesh instancing, occlusion culling, and Unity's URP configuration with single-pass stereo rendering. The AR application demonstrates consistent performance across midrange Android devices and is publicly available on Google Play Store's open-testing channel.

Technical Highlights:

• Unified Codebase: Single development pipeline for both AR and VR platforms
• Advanced Rendering: Custom GPU instancing for high-performance visualization of complex solar installations
• Cross-platform Compatibility: Unity's XR Interaction Toolkit and OpenXR runtime support
• Scalable Architecture: Modular design ensures maintainability and future extensibility

Technology Stack

• AR Development: Unity 2022.3 LTS, Vuforia Engine, ArcGIS SDK, mobile-optimized shaders
• VR Development: Unity, Photon PUN2, Unity XR Interaction Toolkit, OpenXR runtime, Meta Quest SDK
• Backend Integration: Solextron web platform APIs, RESTful services, QR code data retrieval
• Performance Optimization: GPU instancing shaders, occlusion culling, Unity URP, single-pass stereo rendering

Research Publication

Hüsser, C., Fluri, L., & Cords, H. (2025). Interactive 3D visualization and configuration of solar panel layouts in XR. In K. Helin, B. Schiavi, & E. Tsaknaki (Eds.), EuroXR 2025: Proceedings of the Application, Poster, and Demo Tracks of the 22nd EuroXR International Conference (VTT Technology No. 440). VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland. https://doi.org/10.32040/2242-122X.2025.T440

Abstract (EuroXR 2025): Download