Hello,

If I import HH data into PVSol, does it use this when calculating self-consumption with an hourly simulation, or does it add the 2 HHs together and use hourly data?

Further to the above, is the formula used to calculate self-consumption % simply 'if consumption is greater than PV output then 100%, if not then = consumption/pv output'? This would essentially assume that PV output and site demand is completely flat for each simulation period.

Thanks,

Haydn

Dear Haydn,

Thank you for your inquiry.

If you select multiple load profiles (whether imported by you or built into the program), they are aggregated into a total consumption figure for the simulation.

In the hourly simulation, the self-consumption share is calculated for every hour of the year by determining what percentage of consumption can be covered by PV energy.

Hourly simulation is the standard. However, when importing load profiles, you can also import data with 1-, 5-, 10-, 15-, or 30-minute intervals and then run the simulation on a minute-by-minute basis to obtain more precise results.

Thanks for your response.

Is the self consumption calculation as simple as if 800kWh were generated and 1000kWh consumed in 1h, then self-consumption is 100%?

If yes, then this will always overestimate self-consumption, as generation & site demand are not usually fixed at a given power for 1h. Within that hour there are likely to be periods when generation exceeds demand, and self-consumption will be less than 100%. 

If I select 1-minute simulation, but I have only input half-hourly data, will PVSol synthesise minutely consumption data?

Thanks,

Haydn

Dear Haydn,

Thank you for your inquiry.

In the hourly simulation, hourly generation and consumption values are simulated and compared, and the self-consumption rate is determined from them. With a generation of 800 kWh and a consumption of 1,000 kWh, self-consumption in that hour is 100%.

In the minute-by-minute simulation using half-hourly consumption values, minute-by-minute generation values are compared with half-hourly consumption values. No minute-by-minute consumption values are generated.