Configuring and Running Simulations

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This topic describes SAM 3.0 and has not been revised for SAM 2009 Beta.

You may find useful information, especially if you are new to SAM, but some of the information may be inconsistent with the new version.

Note. If you are accustomed to using Version 1.3 of Solar Advisor: The buttons described in this section replace the Results button that was at the top of the  navigation menu in previous versions of the software. This new approach makes it more obvious how to view results in different formats.

The Results area of the navigation menu changes state depending on the status of input variables. Whenever you change an input value, the results area displays the red Run Analysis button, and you can no longer view results from the previous model run.

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When you click the Run Analysis button, Solar Advisor calculates results, and the Results area displays three buttons:

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•Click the Summary button to view the Results Summary page.
•Click Spreadsheet to start Excel and open a workbook of detailed results, including a pro-forma cash flow, detailed hourly results, and monthly and annual averages.
•Click Time Series Graphs to display hourly data graphically.

When you change the value of any input variable, Solar Advisor disables the results buttons and displays the red Run Analysis button, and you can no longer view the results of the previous model run. The current version of Solar Advisor does not have an Undo function. If you are reviewing an analysis and want to avoid accidentally modifying the file, save a copy of the file before viewing the results. (Click Save As on the File menu to save a copy of a file.)

Tip. If Solar Advisor takes more than a few seconds to display a case or graph, you can speed up the display speed by changing the startup mode setting. To change the setting, click Settings on the File menu, and on the General tab of the Settings window, select Slow startup (fast viewing of graphs and cases). The change will take effect after you restart the software.