Libraries

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A library is a collection of stored parameters for some performance model components.

Libraries Included with the Model

Solar Advisor uses libraries to store parameter sets for the following performance model components and displays them as lists on the relevant input pages:

•Photovoltaic CEC Module parameters on the Module page
•Photovoltaic Sandia Module parameters on the Module page
•Photovoltaic Sandia Inverter parameters on the Inverter page
•CSP parabolic trough parasitic losses on the Parasitics page
•CSP parabolic trough power cycles on the Power Block page
•CSP parabolic trough solar collector assemblies on the SCA / HCE page
•CSP parabolic trough thermal energy storage dispatch on the Thermal Storage page
•CSP power tower thermal energy storage dispatch on the Thermal Storage page
•CSP dish-Stirling systems on the System Library page

Opening the Library Editor

To open the library editor, click File, Libraries. You must open a project file before opening the library editor (the editor is not available from the Welcome page).

Default and User Libraries

There are two types of libraries, default libraries and user libraries:

•Default libraries are available to all project files on your computer and cannot be edited directly in the library editor. Default libraries are stored in the libraries folder. A set of default libraries is distributed with the Solar Advisor Model software. Default libraries are indicated in lists by the prefix "SAM/." You can add a library file to the default collection by putting it the libraries folder.
•User libraries are libraries stored in the project file. A user library must be added to a project file to be available in the file. User libraries are indicated in lists by the prefix "USER/." Unlike default libraries, user library parameters are stored in the project file and can increase the project file size. User libraries are useful when you are using custom parameter sets and sharing project files with other people. To make a user library available to another project, you can either export it as a library file and import it into the other project, or you can add the exported library file to the libraries folder to be included with the default libraries and made available to all projects on your computer.

Managing User Libraries

To add a new user library, open the library editor, and click New User Library. Type a name for the library (this is the name that will appear in library lists), and then choose a library type.

To add items to a user library, click the library's name in the Libraries list and click Add Entries. In the variables list, check one or more items that have similar characteristics to the item you want to add. Right-click each item's name and click Rename to change the item's name. You can then either change values manually by double-clicking each cell and typing a value, or you can paste a row of values from a text file with comma-separated columns or an Excel file by right clicking the item name and clicking Paste Values.

To edit parameter values in a user library, double-click cells in the parameter table. There is no error checking, so be sure to type valid values.

To modify values in a default library, copy the library from the libraries folder to another folder on your computer, and use the library editor to import it as a new user library.

To "convert" a user library to a default library, in the library editor, select the user library's name in the Libraries list, click Export, and save the file in the libraries folder. The library will now be displayed in the Libraries list with a "SAM/" prefix, and will be available to all project files on your computer.

Library File Types and Folders

Library files are text files with the extension .samlib. Library files contain sets of parameter values.

Library files can be stored anywhere on your computer, and must be imported into your project file as user libraries, unless they are stored in the libraries folder.

Default libraries are available to all project files on your computer, and must be stored in the libraries folder, which is c:\SAM\[software version date]\exelib\libraries by default.

Solar Advisor uses library type files to define the contents of library files. The library types are categories of parameter collections. For example, the TroughHCE library type stores parameters for trough heat collection elements. You cannot add or remove library types in the user library. Library types are stored as .samlibtype files in the libraries folder, and should not be modified for typical uses of the model.