Convert from Version 3.0
ico-plus-16x16Overview

The release of Solar Advisor Model Version 2009 in October 2009 involved a redesigned user interface and porting of the software to a new development platform that improved the computational efficiency of the model. This topic describes the major differences between the new version and Version 3.0, and is intended for people who are switching from Version 3.0 to the new version. For details about differences between releases since October 2009, see the release notes on Solar Advisor's Help menu.

Note. You can run multiple versions of the Solar Advisor Model on a single computer. You do not need to uninstall Version 3.0 to install and run the current version. You can also start and run the two versions simultaneously.

Solar Advisor Model 2009 maintained the same capabilities as the Version 3.0, but added several new capabilities with a new look and feel, and more efficient simulations.

One conceptual difference between the two versions is that in the new version, the input variables on the input pages are separate from the simulation configurations. In Version 3.0, you configure parametric analyses and set up linked spreadsheets directly from the input pages. In the newer versions, all simulation configurations are handled in one place: The Configure Simulations page. The input pages only contain input variables, and each variable has a single "base case" value, or in the case of variables with annual schedules, a series of annual base case values.

The current version uses a redesigned user interface that preserves the general layout of Version 3.0 and earlier versions, but runs more efficiently. You still access input pages using the navigation menu just like in Version 3.0, but the menu has been slightly reorganized.

•The navigation menu buttons in Version 3.0 have been removed. In the current version, you can click an item on the menu to open the input page.
•The Program page in Version 3.0 where you define the project's technology and market has been replaced by the Technology and Market window.
•Right-clicking variables no longer displays the Input Type window. The Parametric Analysis and Excel Exchange (linked spreadsheets) features that were available by right-clicking variables in Version 3.0 are now handled as simulation configuration options. Variables that can be entered as Annual Schedules display a button next to the label that you can click to edit the annual schedule.
•A new Annual Performance page displays annual degradation and availability variables, which are used consistently across all technologies to facilitate comparison.
•The Costs page in Version 3.0 has been replaced with the system costs page for each technology, and its position on the navigation menu has been moved.
ico-minus-16x16Working with Files from Version 3.0

You can open a project file created in Version 3.0 by saving it as a SCIF file and opening it the current version.

A SCIF file contains a complete set of input values for one or more cases in a project file. Note that the current version cannot save files in the SCIF format. Because the new .zsam project file format is much more compact than the old .sam format, the SCIF format has been deprecated in the new version.

Note. Solar Advisor does its best to import data from the SCIF file into a .zsam file. Because of some file format and other differences between the new and old versions of Solar Advisor, after importing a SCIF file, you should review the input variables to make sure the data imported correctly. The current version does not convert parametric variables or variables linked to spreadsheets from SCIF files. If your Version 3.0 project files includes those features, you will need to set up the parametric analysis or Excel exchange in the current version. See Parametric Analysis and Excel Exchange for details. If you need help converting your old files, please contact solar.advisor.support@nrel.gov.

To convert a project from Version 3.0 (.sam) to the current version (.zsam):

1.Start both Version 3.0 and the current version. The two versions can run simultaneously on your computer without interfering with each other.
2.In Version 3.0, on the File menu, click Save As SCIF.
3.In the Save As SCIF window, choose the cases from the file that you want to include in the SCIF file.
4.Click the Browse button SS_Button-Ellipses to open the Save As window.
5.Navigate to the location on your computer where you want to save the file.
6.In File name, type the name of the file, including the .scif extension. For example, type the complete name "MySolarProject.scif"
7.Click Save. It may take several seconds to convert and save the file.
8.In the current version, on the File menu, click Open SCIF File.
9.In the Choose a SCIF File window, browse to the folder containing the SCIF file.
10.In the Save Converted File As window, choose a location to save the project in the .zsam format. You can save the file to any location on your computer or a network.
11.When Solar Advisor finishes converting the project to the .zsam format, click Yes to open the file.

If the SCIF file uses a weather file that is not included in the current version's standard library, before going to the next step, you will need to add the folder containing the weather file to the library of weather file locations on the Climate page. See Adding and Removing Weather File Paths for details.

12.Click Run all simulations to generate a set of SAM 2009 results. See Getting Started for help getting around the new user interface.

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ico-minus-16x16Results Graphs and Tables

The current version of Solar Advisor displays tables and graphs of results on the Results page, whose appearance has significantly changed from Version 3.0. See Reviewing Results for help getting started with the Results page, and see Results Page Reference for more details.

Some key differences include:

•The run and results buttons still appear on at the bottom of the navigation menu, but their appearance has changed. See Running Simulations and Reviewing Results for details.

Version 3.0

Version 2010

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•The Metrics table and sliders appear under the navigation menu instead of on the Results page, freeing up space for graphs on the Results page.

Version 3.0

Version 2010

SS_Compare-SAM3MetricsTable

SS_Compare-SAM2009MetricsTable
•Choose graphs to display from the Graphing tab at the bottom of the Results page instead of from the list at the top.

Version 3.0

Version 2010

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ico-minus-16x16General Model Improvements

The current version of Solar Advisor uses the same cost, financing, and performance models to simulate systems as SAM 3.0, with some improvements that may cause results from the two versions to differ:

•The photovoltaic single-point efficiency models for flat-plate and concentrating photovoltaic modules have been replaced by the simple efficiency models, which allow you to enter efficiency values for a range of standard incident radiation levels, and to define the reference radiation used to calculate the module's rated power.
•For CSP parabolic trough and power tower systems the storage dispatch logic has been improved.
•For CSP power tower systems, the input variables have been reorganized, and duplication of variables in the input pages and optimization wizard removed.
•For CSP trough and power tower systems, the backup boiler fuel cost is tracked and included in the cash flow and other economic metrics displayed on the Results page.
•The photovoltaic technology option includes a new implementation of NREL's PVWatts model, which includes preliminary test versions of battery storage and electric load models.
•Input variable libraries use the same format across all technologies and input variable types. The library format is text-based, and the library editor allows for data to be added to libraries without modifying the standard libraries. See Working with Libraries for details.
•For projects with utility financing, the financial variable optimization no longer requires excel.
ico-minus-16x16Improvements to Parametric Analysis

The new parametric analysis simulation configuration option makes setting up and managing parametric analyses much simpler than in Verion 3.0 and earlier:

•Parametric variables are defined on the Parametric Analysis Configuration page instead of by right-clicking variable names on the input pages.
•The new optimization option uses a search algorithm to find optimal values of variables. providing an automated alternative to the manual method using parametric analyses and graphs.
•The new Sensitivity Analysis option allows you to define ranges of variable values using upper and lower limits so that you can perform sensitivity studies without specifying individual values.
•Parametric simulation configurations can be enabled or disabled for each model run, allowing you to set up as many parametric analyses as you like and choose which ones to include in a simulation run to save time.
ico-minus-16x16Improvements to Linked Spreadsheet Functionality

The new Excel Exchange simulation option allows you to manage data exchange between Solar Advisor input variables and Excel worksheet cells. The new implementation provides several advantages over Version 3.0:

•The Excel Exchange configuration page allows you to manage data sharing with Excel in a central location.
•Excel can run simultaneously with Solar Advisor without causing any interference. You can edit the Excel workbook while Solar Advisor is running. Solar Advisor exchanges values with the saved copy of the workbook.
•You can store Excel workbooks in any folder on your computer. They no longer have to be stored in the Worksheets folder.
•User-defined variables (UDVs) from Version 3.0 have been replaced by user variables.
ico-minus-16x16Weather Data Enhancements

By default, the new project files do not include data from weather files to minimize file size and improve the model's efficiency. During simulations, Solar Advisor reads data from the weather files rather than from a database stored within the project file. The new weather file location library helps you manage weather file locations.

•Solar Advisor reads the new TMY3 weather format, as well as the TMY2 and EPW formats recognized by Version 3.0.
•The new TMY3 file creator on the Climate page allows you to create a TMY3 file using your own weather data.
•If you are sharing a project file with another person and want to include weather data in the file rather than sharing the weather file separately, you can copy the weather data to the project.
•For Version 3.0 or earlier project files with parametric variables or variables linked to Excel, you have to configure the simulations, see Configuring Simulations.