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SolarSim Requirements

posted 1:07 PM Wednesday, October 08, 2008 by zfiscus2

To really run the SolarSim software we are going to need to know a decent amount of information. This simulator can help us with the outputs of a variety of different configurations. We can choose to include heating and water into the simulation, or just monitor the PV grid. To run accurate simulations we will need a variety of factors. The simulation takes into account local weather and latitude of the house in question. We also need to know a lot about what PV panels we decide to go with as well as the orientation of the roof. We need to know Collector slope from the horizontal, collector azimuth from the south, and reflectance of the ground for starters. Then we need to find how many square meters each panel has, how many panels we are using, and how many glazings we have per panel. The simulator also asks for the first order efficiency curve and the FRta for the y intercept. To include heating and water, we also need to know the heat exchange effectiveness for the house, as well as the heater efficiency and how many liters of water will be stored. We should also know the UA of the house in kJ/hrC as well as the temperature we would like the house to be. To monitor the grid we need the rated power output of each panel, the normal operating temperature, and power degradation. We can also add in the efficiency of the DC to AC converter, as well as costs for running annually. This includes both buying and selling electrical power.

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