Solar Advisor Model User Guide

administrative privileges

actual IRR

actual minimum DSCR

add variable, parametric

ambient temperature

in PV temperature correction

weather data

amount of loan

analysis period

annual data, in spreadsheet

annual degradation

annual schedule

generic system

dish-Stirling receiver aperture

annual output - year 1

annual output graph

annual schedule

degradation

	Array
	Editing Annual Schedules

O&M costs

aperture

dish-Stirling receiver

area

dish-Stirling collector

dish-Stirling solar field

PV flat-plate module

solar field (parabolic trough)

array performance model

array, PV

capacity mismatch

power

asterisk in graph name

autoscale

	Sliders
	Configuring Graphs

availability

average control system parasitic power

azimuthal heliostat field dimension

- B -

background color of text boxes

Balance of Plant Parasitic Power

base column

Beale curve-fit equation

bitmap graph export format

Boiler Steam Pressure

boxplot tab, DView

bug

- C -

calculated values

California Energy Commission (CEC)

PV performance model

capacity

dish-Stirling engine

capacity factor

generic system

parabolic trough system

results

capacity-based incentive (CBI)

capital cost

captured from

	Text Box Background Colors
	Overview
	Managing UDVs, Sent To and Captured From Variables

cavity, dish-Stirling receiver

CBI, capacity-based incentive

CDF tab, DView

CEC performance model

central receiver, see power tower

parabolic trough type

color of text box backgrounds

combination parametrics

	Parametric Analysis
	Example 3: Combination parametric
	Example 4: Combination parametric with linkage

comma-separated file

commercial

financing

LCOE

compression space temperature

concentrating solar power

continue application

contour graph

control system parasitic power

conventional

fossil fuel plant

power cycle in parabolic trough systems

converting data into TMY2 format

cooler effectiveness

cooling fan losses

cooling fluid, dish-Stirling

cooling tower

correction

operation mode

Cooling Tower Parasitic Power

copy

bitmap

metafile,

cost

stacked bar graph

costs

and power tower optimization

CSP

csv, comma-separated file

custom graphs

cylindrical receivers

- D -

daily tab, DView

database of available module coefficients

DC tab, DView

debt fraction

debt payment, in cash flow

debt service coverage ratio

define parametric window

	Parametric Analysis
	Example 1: Independent parametric

degradation

derate

Design HTF Inlet Temp.

Design HTF Outlet Temp.

design turbine parameters (trough)

on power block page

on storage page

Design Turbine Thermal Input

detailed PV derate mode

diameter, receiver aperture (dish-Stirling)

	Collector
	Receiver

DIR reciever

direct normal radiation

reference (parabolic trough)

direct storage

discount rate

dish collector separation

dish cooling system

DOE, Department of Energy

Dispatch Controls

Dispatch Schedules

	Thremal Storage
	Thermal Storage

displaced engine volume

DMap tab, DView

download installation program

dry cooling

	Parabolic Trough Systems
	Power Block

Dry Loss Coefficient

drybulb basis

DSCR, debt service coverage ration

duplicate case

DView data viewer

exporting graph images

waterfall graph

- E -

edit (parametric)

combo

linkage

values

effective tax rate

	Financing
	Metrics Table
	After Tax Net Equity Cash and Cost Flows
	Effective Tax Rate

effectiveness for dish-Stirling cooling

efficiency

flat-plate PV module

inverter

electric losses

electricity sales and savings

emissivity

EnergyPlus weather (EPW) data format

engine (dish-Stirling)

English (United States)

EPW weather data

equivalent full load hours of TES

from graphs and tables

- F -

fan operating speed

federal tax

field background color

Field Layout

Field Specification

file

formats

heliostat field layout

size

financing

first year PPA

five-parameter PV model

fixed operation and maintenance cost

flat rate

flat-plate photovoltaic modules

module page

Flow Pattern

focal length (dish-Stirling)

Fossil Fill Fraction

	Thremal Storage
	Thermal Storage

fossil fuel

backup for parabolic trough systems

system type

fuel cost

fuel cost for generic system

Full Load TS Hours

- G -

generic system type

graph

autoscale

	Sliders
	Configuring Graphs

grassy ground reflectance

gross design turbine parameters

ground reflectance

ground slope

- H -

heat collection element (HCE)

	Parabolic Trough Systems
	SCA / HCE

heat exchanger

fouling and annual degradation

Heat Trace Parasitic Power

heat transfer fluid (HTF)

Heater/Boiler Parasitic Power

Heat Transfer Fluid Type

heater head

lowest temperature

set temperature

Heliostat (X, Y) Coordinates

Heliostat Area

heliostat field

availability

layout

Heliostat Field Availability

hourly data

hours of thermal energy storage

HTF, see heat transfer fluid

html export graph data to

- I -

IBI, investment-based incentive

Image Error

import case

incentives

independent parametric

	Parametric Analysis
	Example 1: Independent parametric

independent power producer

indirect storage

inflation rate

Initial Cold HTF Temp.

Initial Cold HTF Vol.

Initial Hot HTF Percent

Initial Hot HTF Temp.

Initial Hot HTF Vol.

Initial Max. Distance from Tower

Initial Min. Distance from Tower

inputs spreadsheet

insolation cut-in

insulation, dish-Stirling receiver

insurance

insurance cost

intercept factor

internal rate of return

investment tax credit (ITC)

investment-based incentive (IBI)

investor-owned utility

IPP, independent power producer

IRR, internal rate of return

ITC, investment tax credit

- K -

- L -

layout

LCOE, levelized cost of energy

commercial

graph

in metric summary table

legend

text box background colors

levelized cost of energy (LCOE)

lifecycle cost

linkage parametric

	Parametric Analysis
	Example 2: Independent parametric with linkage

losses

Low-Resource Cycle Standby Period

- M -

Mac computer

MACRS depreciation

Material Type

Max. Flow Rate to Receiver

Max. Fluid Volume

Max. Receiver Flux

Max. Temp to Receiver

Maximum Energy in Storage

maximum over design operation

maximum storage energy and power

metafile graph export format

Meteonorm weather data software

metrics table

in spreadsheet

on results summary page

minimum required DSCR

mirror

module

molten salt

	Power Tower Systems
	Tower and Receiver

monthly data

- N -

nameplate capacity

dish-Stirling engine

generic system

Nameplate Electric Capacity

NPV, net present value

number of collectors

Number of Heliostats

Number of Heliostats Per Zone

number of inverters

Number of Panels

- O -

O&M, see operation and maintenance

offset payments

operating expenses in cash flow

operating speed

engine (dish-Stirling)

fan (dish-Stirling)

pump (dish-Stirling)

operation and maintenance costs

optimization

loan (debt) fraction

parabolic trough system

parametric variables

power tower heliostat field

PPA escalation rate

optimization wizard

organic Rankine-cycle turbine

orientation

PV array

solar field (parabolic trough)

output metrics table

- P -

panel PV (see module)

text box background color

parametric variable

	Choosing a Solar Multiple
	Parametric Analysis

PBI, production-based incentive

PDF tab, DView

photovoltaic

flat-plate PV

system overview

positive cashflow requirement

power

power block

Power Block Availability

Power Block Fixed Parasitic Power

power cycle

Power to Track a Single Heliostast

power plant availability

price for electricity sales

thermodynamic model

PPA escalation rate

printing

results

production-based incentive (PBI)

profile tab, Dview

project

summary

projected mirror area

property tax

property tax cost

PTC, production tax credit

PTGen

pump

losses (dish-Stirling)

operating speed

PV array

shading

	Array
	PV Array Shading

PV module (see module)

- R -

radial heliostat field dimension

Radial Step Size for Layout

radiator effectiveness

Rankine power cycle

Rankine-cycle

rate of loan

Rated Cycle Conversion Efficiency

rated turbine net capacity

Ratio of Reflective Area to Heliostat Profile

real discount rate

real LCOE

receiver

	Parabolic Trough Systems
	SCA / HCE

aperture (dish-Stirling)

cavity (dish-Stirling)

Receiver Coating Absorptivity

power tower

	Power Tower Systems
	Tower and Receiver

type and condition

Receiver Coating Emissivity

Receiver Diameter

Receiver Height

Receiver HTF Pump Efficiency

Ref. Condenser Water dT

reference

conditions (dish-Stirling)

	Collector
	Receiver
	Parasitics

reflectivity

Required Outlet HTF Temp

reset slider

	Sliders
	Configuring Graphs

residential

results

run analysis button

	Configuring and Running Simulations
	Results

- S -

SAI, Solar America Initiative

sales tax

rate

SAM file format

sample file

Standard CSP Systems.sam

Standard Dish Stirling Systems.sam

Standard PV Systems.sam

Sandia

inverter performance model

PV array performance model

SCA / HCE

SCA, Solar Collector Assembly

scale graph

	Sliders
	Configuring Graphs

schedule variable type

SCIF file format

selected sliders

send bug report

send to excel

	Configuring Graphs
	Exporting Graph and Table Data

sensitivity analysis

sent to

	Overview
	Managing UDVs, Sent To and Captured From Variables

separation of dish collectors

simple PV derate mode

single-point efficiency model

inverter

PV flat-plate

slider

column column in metrics table

reset

selection window

slope of ground (dish-Stirling)

slot gap

slow startup

snowy ground reflectance

Solar America Initiative (SAI)

solar collector assembly (SCA)

	Parabolic Trough Systems
	SCA / HCE

Solar Energy Technologies Program

solar field

area (dish-Stirling)

area (parabolic trough)

capacity (dish-Stirling)

power tower, see heliostat field

solar multiple

parabolic trough optimization

speed up the display speed

spreadsheet button

spreadsheets

inputs and results

linked to inputs

Standard CSP Power Tower System.sam

Standard CSP Systems.sam

Standard Dish Stirling Systems.sam

standard graphs

Standard PV Systems.sam

Standby Mode Thermal Fraction

Startup Energy of Single Heliostat

startup mode

state tax

storage

heat loss in optimization (parabolic trough)

Storage Dispatch Fraction (without Solar)

Storage Dispatch Fraction (with Solar)

	Thremal Storage
	Thermal Storage

Storage Fluid

Storage HTF Volume

Storage Pump Parasitic Power

Storage Type

straight line depreciation

system availability

System Degradation

Systems Driven Approach

- T -

tabs

for different cases

in DView

Tank Circumference

Tank Cross-Sectional Area

Tank Diameter

tank heat loss

	Choosing a Solar Multiple
	Thremal Storage

tax

credits

effective tax rate

	Financing
	Metrics Table
	After Tax Net Equity Cash and Cost Flows
	Effective Tax Rate

in cash flow

property

tax adjusted utility rate

technical support

temperature

dish-Stirilng compression space

dish-Stirling cooling fluid

expansion space

heater head

temperature correction

Temperature Correction Mode

PV coefficient

temporary folder

	Exporting Graph and Table Data
	Spreadsheets

term of loan

TES (see thermal energy storage system)

text box background colors

thermal energy storage (TES)