Transcription
A national laboratory of the U.S. Department of EnergyOffice of Energy Efficiency & Renewable EnergyNational Renewable Energy LaboratoryInnovation for Our Energy FutureSolar Advisor ModelUser Guide for Version 2.0Paul GilmanNate Blair, Mark Mehos, Craig Christensen, andSteve JanzouNational Renewable Energy LaboratoryChris CameronSandia National LaboratoriesNREL is operated by Midwest Research Institute BattelleContract No. DE-AC36-99-GO10337Technical ReportNREL/TP-670-43704August 2008
Solar Advisor ModelUser Guide for Version 2.0Paul GilmanNate Blair, Mark Mehos, Craig Christensen, andSteve JanzouNational Renewable Energy LaboratoryChris CameronSandia National LaboratoriesPrepared under Task No. PVB7.6201National Renewable Energy Laboratory1617 Cole Boulevard, Golden, Colorado 80401-3393303-275-3000 www.nrel.govOperated for the U.S. Department of EnergyOffice of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energyby Midwest Research Institute BattelleContract No. DE-AC36-99-GO10337Technical ReportNREL/TP-670-43704August 2008
NOTICEThis report was prepared as an account of work sponsored by an agency of the United States government.Neither the United States government nor any agency thereof, nor any of their employees, makes anywarranty, express or implied, or assumes any legal liability or responsibility for the accuracy, completeness, orusefulness of any information, apparatus, product, or process disclosed, or represents that its use would notinfringe privately owned rights. Reference herein to any specific commercial product, process, or service bytrade name, trademark, manufacturer, or otherwise does not necessarily constitute or imply its endorsement,recommendation, or favoring by the United States government or any agency thereof. The views andopinions of authors expressed herein do not necessarily state or reflect those of the United Statesgovernment or any agency thereof.Available electronically at http://www.osti.gov/bridgeAvailable for a processing fee to U.S. Department of Energyand its contractors, in paper, from:U.S. Department of EnergyOffice of Scientific and Technical InformationP.O. Box 62Oak Ridge, TN 37831-0062phone: 865.576.8401fax: 865.576.5728email: mailto:[email protected] for sale to the public, in paper, from:U.S. Department of CommerceNational Technical Information Service5285 Port Royal RoadSpringfield, VA 22161phone: 800.553.6847fax: 703.605.6900email: [email protected] ordering: http://www.ntis.gov/ordering.htmPrinted on paper containing at least 50% wastepaper, including 20% postconsumer waste
Executive SummaryThe Solar Advisor Model provides a consistent framework for analyzing and comparing powersystem costs and performance across the range of solar technologies and markets, fromphotovoltaic systems for residential and commercial markets to concentrating solar power andlarge photovoltaic systems for utility markets.This manual describes Version 2.0 of the software, which can model photovoltaic andconcentrating solar power technologies for electric applications for several markets. The currentversion of the Solar Advisor Model does not model solar heating and lighting technologies. Thecurrent version number is displayed in the software under Help, About.Solar Advisor Model Disclaimer 2008 National Renewable Energy LaboratoryThe Solar Advisor Model is provided by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory ("NREL"),which is operated by the Midwest Research Institute ("MRI") for the Department Of Energy("DOE"). Access to and use of the Solar Advisor Model shall impose the following obligationson the user. The user is granted the right, without any fee or cost, to use the Solar Advisor Modelfor any purpose whatsoever, except commercial purposes or sales, but not to modify, alter,enhance or distribute. Further, the user agrees to credit DOE/NREL/MRI in any publications thatresult from the use of the Solar Advisor Model. The names DOE/NREL/MRI, however, may notbe used in any advertising or publicity to endorse or promote any products or commercial entityunless specific written permission is obtained from DOE/NREL/MRI. The user also understandsthat DOE/NREL/MRI is not obligated to provide the user with any support, consulting, trainingor assistance of any kind whatsoever with regard to the use of the Solar Advisor Model or toprovide the user with any updates, bug-fixes, revisions or new versions. The Solar AdvisorModel is provided by DOE/NREL/MRI "as is" and any express or implied warranties, includingbut not limited to, the implied warranties of merchantability and fitness for a particular purposeare hereby disclaimed. In no event shall DOE/NREL/MRI be liable for any special, indirect orconsequential damages or any damages whatsoever, including but not limited to claimsassociated with the loss of data or profits, which may result from an action in contract,negligence or other tortious claim that arises out of or in connection with the access, use orperformance of the Solar Advisor Model.Microsoft and Excel are registered trademarks of the Microsoft Corporation.i
Table of ContentsExecutive Summary . iSolar Advisor Model Disclaimer . iTable of contents . iiList of Tables . vBefore you Begin . 1About the Solar Advisor Model .1Contacting user support .2Getting Started . 2Installing and starting the software .2What to do if you encounter a bug .3Reviewing an existing analysis .4Creating a new analysis .4Working with files and cases .5Solar Advisor file formats.6User Interface Overview . 6Main window .6Text box background colors.7Run Analysis and results buttons .9Results . 9Metrics table.10Graphs .14Adding and removing sliders .17Customizing graphs .18Spreadsheets .20Time series graphs in DView .22Waterfall graphs (CSP only) .24Exporting Data and Graphs. 25Exporting graph and table data .26Exporting graph images .27Input Pages . 28Program .28Environment .29Climate .30Typical Meteorological Year (TMY2).30EnergyPlus Weather (EPW) data .31Utility Rates .32Financials .32Incentives .35Loads .37System: Photovoltaic .37Configuration .38Array .38Module: PV .40Module: CPV .42Inverter .43ii
Storage and BOS .44System: Concentrating Solar Power .44Configuration .45Solar Field .45SCA / HCE.48Power Block .51Storage .54Parasitics .58System: Generic .58Costs.60Capital costs .60Operation and maintenance costs.61Entering year-by-year O&M costs .62Working with Parametric Variables . 63Example 1: Independent parametric .65Example 2: Independent parametric with linkage .70Example 4: Combination parametric with linkage .79Example 5: Review the CSP parametric analysis .85Working with External Workbooks and UDVs. 87Overview .88A. Review the external workbook .89B. Define the Captured From variable .90C. Create a UDV .91D. Define the Sent To variables .92Managing UDVs, Sent To and Captured From Variables .94Appendix 1: Levelized cost of energy (LCOE) . 95Residential and commercial LCOE .96Utility LCOE .96Real and nominal LCOE .97Appendix 2: Cash Flow . 98After tax net equity cash and cost flows .98State and federal taxes .99Total operating expenses.101Total debt payment .101Project income (revenue and offset payments) .102Appendix 3: Equations for Calculated Values . 102Financials .103Loan Amount .103Weighted Average Cost of Capital .103PV Array .104PV Derate .106PV Module .107PV Inverter .107CSP Solar Field .108Solar Field Area, Solar Multiple, and Exact Area .108Exact Number of SCAs.109Solar Field Piping Heat Losses .109iii
CSP SCA / HCE.110HCE Optical Efficiency .110HCE Heat Losses .111CSP Power Block .112Design Turbine Thermal Input.112CSP Storage .112Maximum Energy Storage .112Heat Exchanger Duty .113Maximum Power To and From Storage.113CSP Parasitics .114Effective tax rate .115References . 116Weather data .116Project economics financing .116Performance models.116CSP technology.116TRNSYS and Excelergy .117Useful web sites .117Index . 118iv
List of TablesTable 1. Current status of Photovoltaic modeling in the Solar Advisor Model . 1Table 2. Current status of Concentrating Solar Power modeling in the Solar Advisor Model . 2Table 3. Description of text box background colors. . 9Table 4. Variables that appear in the Metrics table for different financing types. 11Table 5. Standard Graph Descriptions and Samples. . 16Table 6. Graph Axis options. 20Table 7. DView graph formats. . 23Table 8. Hourly data variable names and explanations for CSP systems. . 23Table 9. Hourly data variable names and explanations for PV systems. . 23Table 10. Waterfall variable names in DView. Primary variables are shown in bold font. . 25Table 11. Program options. . 29Table 12. Financing options for different project types. . 33Table 13. Finacials page variables. . 34Table 14. Summary of incentives and tax credits. . 36Table 15. Heat transfer fluids. . 47Table 16. Default collector types. . 49Table 17. Default receiver types. . 50Table 18. Receiver conditions. 50Table 19. Power cycle reference systems. . 52Table 20. Reference system parameters. . 53Table 21. Suggested Tank Heat Losses values for different thermal storage capacities. . 55Table 22. O&M cost options. . 61v
Before you BeginAbout the Solar Advisor ModelThe Solar Advisor Model provides a consistent framework for analyzing and comparing powersystem costs and performance across the range of solar technologies and markets, fromphotovoltaic systems for residential and commercial markets to concentrating solar power andlarge photovoltaic systems for utility markets.Installation requirements: The installation file: SAM install.exe. A computer running Windows Vista, XP or 2000 with at least 500 MB of free disk space. Microsoft Excel if you plan to use the spreadsheet linking feature.Solar Advisor combines an hourly simulation model with performance, cost, and finance modelsto calculate energy output, energy costs, and cash flows. The software can also account for theeffect of incentives on cash flows. Solar Advisor includes both built-in cost and performancemodels, and a spreadsheet interface for exchanging data with external models developed inMicrosoft Excel. Most of Solar Advisor's inputs can be used as parametric variables forsensitivity studies to investigate impacts of variations in performance, cost, and financialparameters on model results.This manual describes the current version of the software, which can model photovoltaic andconcentrating solar power technologies for electric applications for several markets. The currentversion of the Solar Advisor Model does not model solar heating and lighting technologies. Thecurrent version number is displayed in the software under Help, About.Solar Advisor models photovoltaic flat-plate and concentrating grid-connected systems.Table 1. Current status of Photovoltaic modeling in the Solar Advisor ModelTechnologyFlat-platephotovoltaic Concentratingphotovoltaic(CPV) ModuleSingle-pointefficiencySandia PV ntefficiencyInverter Single-pointefficiency SandiaPerformanceModel for GridConnected PVInvertersStorage UnderdevelopmentBalance ofSystem Underdevelopment Single-pointefficiency SandiaPerformanceModel for GridConnected PVInverters Underdevelopment UnderdevelopmentSolar Advisor also models concentrating solar power (CSP) systems. The current version onlymodels trough systems, future versions will model other types of CSP systems.1
Table 2. Current status of Concentrating Solar Power modeling in the Solar Advisor ModelTechnologyConcentratingSolar Power(CSP)Solar Field Layout asmultiple ofdesign pointor specifiedarea List of heattransfer fluidoptionsCollector andReceiver Library ofcollectortypes Library ofreceivertypes andconditionPowerBlock Library ofpower cycletypesStorage Thermocline Two-tankStorageParasitics Library ofparametersets forparasiticlossesThe single-point efficiency models are simple representations of system components based on asize value in rated watts or kilowatts and an efficiency value. The PV single-point efficiencymodel also includes a simple representation of module temperature effects. The commercialmodels represent particular commercially available inverters and PV modules using a set ofparameters based on field measurements. System components that are in development are notavailable in the current version of Solar Advisor.The Department of Energy's Solar Energy Technologies Program (SETP) initially developedSolar Advisor for analysis to support the implementation of the SETP Systems Driven Approach.The model also has applications for the solar industry for planning research and developmentprograms, and developing project cost and performance estimates. Solar Advisor is being used aspart of the Solar America Initiative application and monitoring process.Solar Advisor models system performance using the TRNSYS software developed at theUniversity of Wisconsin combined with customized components. TRNSYS is a validated, timeseries simulation program that can simulate the performance of photovoltaic, concentrating solarpower, water heating systems, and other renewable energy systems using hourly resource data.TRNSYS is integrated into Solar Advisor so there is no need to install TRNSYS software or befamiliar with its use to run Solar Advisor.Contacting user supportIf you have any questions about Solar Advisor, please send an email toSolar Advisor [email protected] can also find more information about the model on the Solar Advisor ng StartedInstalling and starting the softwareThe following procedure describes how to install the software, open a sample file, and create asecond copy of the file for reviewing inputs.Solar Advisor comes with a set of four sample files: Standard PV Systems.sam Standard CSP Systems.sam2
Parametrics Example.sam Workbook Example.samThe sample files are located in the Samples folder. There is a backup copy of each sample file inthe Backup folder. Both the Samples and Backup folders are located in the same folder as theSolar Advisor program files, which is C:\SAM unless you specify a different folder in theinstallation process.Note. Solar Advisor must be installed on a local drive. The software will not work properly if itis installed on a network drive or if any of the files it uses are on a network drive.To install Solar Advisor and start the software:1. Download or copy the installation file, SAM install.exe, to a convenient folder on yourcomputer. You can download the file at http://www.nrel.gov/analysis/sam.2. Run the installation file and follow the installation wizard instructions.3. On the Windows taskbar, click the Start button.4. Click All Programs, and clickto start the software.There are several ways to start the software. For example, depending on your Windowssetup, you can click the shortcut on your desktop, or the command in the Start menu.5. When you start Solar Advisor for the first time, the software prompts you to select a samplefile. Each time you start the software, you must open an existing file.To uninstall Solar Advisor: Run the Windows Add/Remove Program tool and delete the Solar Advisor folder, which isC:\SAM by default.What to do if you encounter a bugSolar Advisor is under development and may occasionally fail. If you encounter a bug whileusing the software, Solar Advisor displays an error message giving you several options.It is unlikely that you will encounter a bug as you work through this guide, but if you do, in theerror message window, click continue application. If the message persists, click restartapplication to restart the software. If you cannot restart the software, contact User Support.3
Tip. If you encounter a bug during your work, in the error message window, click send bugreport. The Solar Advisor support team will receive a copy of the bug report and contact you tohelp resolve the problem. You can also contact the Solar Advisor support team directly bysending an email to Solar Advisor [email protected] an existing analysisSolar Advisor allows you to review an existing analysis performed by someone else, or to createa new analysis.Summary of steps to review an e
The Solar Advisor Model provides a consistent framework for analyzing and comparing power system costs and performance across the range of solar technologies and markets, from photovoltaic systems for residential and commercial markets to concentrating solar power and
