Solarpilot

Solarpilot

PySAM.Solarpilot.default(config) → Solarpilot

Load defaults for the configuration config. Available configurations are:

None

Note

Some inputs do not have default values and may be assigned a value from the variable’s Required attribute. See variable attribute descriptions below.

PySAM.Solarpilot.from_existing(data, optional config) → Solarpilot: Share data with an existing PySAM class. If optional config is a valid configuration name, load the module’s defaults for that configuration.

PySAM.Solarpilot.new() → Solarpilot

PySAM.Solarpilot.wrap(ssc_data_t) → Solarpilot: Load data from a PySSC object.

Warning

Do not call PySSC.data_free on the ssc_data_t provided to wrap()

Solarpilot is a wrapper for the SSC compute module cmod_solarpilot.cpp

Interdependent Variables

The variables listed below are interdependent with other variables. If you change the value of one of these variables, you may need to change values of other variables. The SAM user interface manages these interdependent variables, but in PySAM, it is up to you change the value of all interdependent variables so they are consistent. See Interdependent Variables for examples and details.

None

Functions

class PySAM.Solarpilot.Solarpilot

This class contains all the variable information for running a simulation. Variables are grouped together in the subclasses as properties. If property assignments are the wrong type, an error is thrown.

assign(dict) → None

Assign attributes from nested dictionary, except for Outputs

nested_dict = { 'SolarPILOT': { var: val, ...}, ...}

execute(int verbosity) → None: Execute simulation with verbosity level 0 (default) or 1

export() → dict: Export attributes into nested dictionary

get_data_ptr() → Pointer: Get ssc_data_t pointer

replace(dict) → None

Replace attributes from nested dictionary, except for Outputs. Unassigns all values in each Group then assigns from the input dict.

nested_dict = { 'SolarPILOT': { var: val, ...}, ...}

unassign(name) → None: Unassign a value in any of the variable groups.

value(name, optional value) → None | float | dict | sequence | str: Get or set by name a value in any of the variable groups.

SolarPILOT Group

class PySAM.Solarpilot.Solarpilot.SolarPILOT

assign(dict) → None

Assign attributes from dictionary, overwriting but not removing values.

SolarPILOT_vals = { var: val, ...}

export() → dict: Export attributes into dictionary.

replace(dict) → None

Replace attributes from dictionary, unassigning values not present in input dict.

SolarPILOT_vals = { var: val, ...}

c_atm_0

Attenuation coefficient 0

Required: False. Automatically set to 0.006789 if not assigned explicitly or loaded from defaults.

Type:: float

c_atm_1

Attenuation coefficient 1

Required: False. Automatically set to 0.1046 if not assigned explicitly or loaded from defaults.

Type:: float

c_atm_2

Attenuation coefficient 2

Required: False. Automatically set to -0.0107 if not assigned explicitly or loaded from defaults.

Type:: float

c_atm_3

Attenuation coefficient 3

Required: False. Automatically set to 0.002845 if not assigned explicitly or loaded from defaults.

Type:: float

calc_fluxmaps

Include fluxmap calculations

Required: False. Automatically set to 0 if not assigned explicitly or loaded from defaults.

Type:: float

cant_type

Heliostat cant method

Required: True

Type:: float

cav_rec_height

Cavity receiver height [m]

Required: Required if receiver_type=1

Type:: float

cav_rec_span

Cavity receiver span angle [deg]

Required: Required if receiver_type=1

Type:: float

cav_rec_width

Cavity receiver width [m]

Required: Required if receiver_type=1

Type:: float

check_max_flux

Check max flux at design point

Required: False. Automatically set to 0 if not assigned explicitly or loaded from defaults.

Type:: float

contingency_rate

Contingency for cost overrun [%]

Required: True

Type:: float

cost_sf_fixed

Soalr field fixed cost [$]

Required: True

Type:: float

csp_pt_sf_fixed_land_area

Fixed land area [acre]

Required: True

Type:: float

csp_pt_sf_land_overhead_factor

Land overhead factor

Required: True

Type:: float

delta_flux_hrs

Hourly frequency in flux map lookup

Required: False. Automatically set to 1 if not assigned explicitly or loaded from defaults.

Type:: float

dens_mirror

Ratio of reflective area to profile [frac]

Required: True

Type:: float

dni_des

Design-point DNI [W/m2]

Required: True

Type:: float

flux_max

Maximum allowable flux

Required: False. Automatically set to 1000 if not assigned explicitly or loaded from defaults.

Type:: float

focus_type

Heliostat focus method

Required: True

Type:: float

h_tower

Tower height [m]

Required: True

Type:: float

helio_active_fraction

Active fraction of reflective area [frac]

Required: True

Type:: float

helio_height

Heliostat height [m]

Required: True

Type:: float

helio_optical_error

Optical error [rad]

Required: True

Type:: float

helio_positions_in

Heliostat position table

Type:: sequence[sequence]

helio_reflectance

Mirror reflectance [frac]

Required: True

Type:: float

helio_width

Heliostat width [m]

Required: True

Type:: float

heliostat_spec_cost

Heliostat field cost [$/m2]

Required: True

Type:: float

is_optimize

Do SolarPILOT optimization

Required: False. Automatically set to 0 if not assigned explicitly or loaded from defaults.

Type:: float

land_max

Max heliostat-dist-to-tower-height ratio

Required: True

Type:: float

land_min

Min heliostat-dist-to-tower-height ratio

Required: True

Type:: float

land_spec_cost

Total land area cost [$/acre]

Required: True

Type:: float

n_cav_rec_panels

Cavity receiver number of panels

Required: Required if receiver_type=1

Type:: float

n_facet_x

Number of heliostat facets - X

Required: True

Type:: float

n_facet_y

Number of heliostat facets - Y

Required: True

Type:: float

n_flux_days

No. days in flux map lookup

Required: False. Automatically set to 8 if not assigned explicitly or loaded from defaults.

Type:: float

n_flux_x

Flux map X resolution

Required: False. Automatically set to 12 if not assigned explicitly or loaded from defaults.

Type:: float

n_flux_y

Flux map Y resolution

Required: False. Automatically set to 1 if not assigned explicitly or loaded from defaults.

Type:: float

opt_algorithm

Optimization algorithm

Required: False. Automatically set to 1 if not assigned explicitly or loaded from defaults.

Type:: float

opt_conv_tol

Optimization convergence tol

Required: False. Automatically set to 0.001 if not assigned explicitly or loaded from defaults.

Type:: float

opt_flux_penalty

Optimization flux overage penalty

Required: True

Type:: float

opt_init_step

Optimization initial step size

Required: False. Automatically set to 0.05 if not assigned explicitly or loaded from defaults.

Type:: float

opt_max_iter

Max. number iteration steps

Required: False. Automatically set to 200 if not assigned explicitly or loaded from defaults.

Type:: float

q_design

Receiver thermal design power [MW]

Required: True

Type:: float

rec_absorptance

Absorptance [frac]

Required: True

Type:: float

rec_aspect

External receiver aspect ratio (H/W) [frac]

Required: Required if receiver_type=0

Type:: float

rec_cost_exp

Receiver cost scaling exponent

Required: True

Type:: float

rec_height

External receiver height [m]

Required: Required if receiver_type=0

Type:: float

rec_hl_perm2

Receiver design heat loss [kW/m2]

Required: True

Type:: float

rec_ref_area

Receiver reference area for cost scale

Required: True

Type:: float

rec_ref_cost

Receiver reference cost [$]

Required: True

Type:: float

receiver_type

external (default), 1; cavity

Required: False. Automatically set to 0 if not assigned explicitly or loaded from defaults.

Type:: float
Type:: 0

sales_tax_frac

Percent of cost to which sales tax applies [%]

Required: True

Type:: float

sales_tax_rate

Sales tax rate [%]

Required: True

Type:: float

site_spec_cost

Site improvement cost [$/m2]

Required: True

Type:: float

solar_resource_file

Solar weather data file

Constraints: LOCAL_FILE

Required: False for configuration with default inputs. May be required if a variable dependent on its value changes. Example: For the Detailed PV - Single Owner configuration, only Subarray 1 is enabled in the configuration defaults, so Subarray 2 inputs would not be required; if Subarray 2 is enabled, then Subarray 2 inputs is required.

Type:: str

tower_exp

Tower cost scaling exponent

Required: True

Type:: float

tower_fixed_cost

Tower fixed cost [$]

Required: True

Type:: float

Outputs Group

class PySAM.Solarpilot.Solarpilot.Outputs

assign(dict) → None

Assign attributes from dictionary, overwriting but not removing values.

Outputs_vals = { var: val, ...}

export() → dict: Export attributes into dictionary.

replace(dict) → None

Replace attributes from dictionary, unassigning values not present in input dict.

Outputs_vals = { var: val, ...}

area_sf

Total reflective heliostat area [m^2]

Type:: float

base_land_area

Land area occupied by heliostats [acre]

Type:: float

cav_rec_aper_width_opt

Optimized cavity receiver aperture width [-]

Type:: float

cost_land_tot

Total land cost [$]

Type:: float

cost_rec_tot

Total receiver cost [$]

Type:: float

cost_sf_tot

Total heliostat field cost [$]

Type:: float

cost_site_tot

Total site cost [$]

Type:: float

cost_tower_tot

Total tower cost [$]

Type:: float

flux_max_observed

Maximum observed flux at design [kW/m2]

Type:: float

flux_table

Flux intensity table (flux(X) x (flux(y) x position) [frac]

Type:: sequence[sequence]

h_tower_opt

Optimized tower height [m]

Type:: float

heliostat_positions

Heliostat positions (x,y) [m]

Type:: sequence[sequence]

land_area

Total land area [acre]

Type:: float

number_heliostats

Number of heliostats

Type:: float

opteff_table

Optical efficiency (azi, zen, eff x nsim)

Type:: sequence[sequence]

rec_aspect_opt

Optimized receiver aspect ratio [-]

Type:: float

rec_height_opt

Optimized receiver height [m]

Type:: float