Time Series Data (DView) |  |  |  |

Solar Advisor displays hourly data for the current case in a built-in data viewer called DView. You can use the viewer to display graphs of hourly results as well as monthly and annual averages of the hourly data. You can also export the data to a tab-delimited text file, and to copy graph images for use in presentations and reports.

To display the graphs of time series data in DView:

1. | On the Results menu, click View Hourly Time Series (DView) to display base case hourly results in the viewer, or

on the Climate page, click View hourly data to view the weather file in the viewer.

2. | Click the tab for the graph format you want to view. See the table below for a description of the different formats.

3. | Select the variable or variables to view. Depending on the graph format, a list of available variables appears either in a drop-down box or as a list of check boxes.

For CSP systems, including trough, power tower, and dish-Stirling systems, when you view hourly results in DView, Solar Advisor displays a subset of the hourly results generated by the TRNSYS simulation engine. See Saving TRNSYS Simulation Data for details.

Tips for using the data viewer:

• | For check box lists, checking a box in the leftmost column splits the graph into two and displays the checked variable in the upper graph. Checking a box in the rightmost column displays the graph in the lower graph, or in a single graph when no boxes are checked in the leftmost column.

• | Right-click a graph to export an image of the graph or a table of the data in the graph.

• | Change properties of a graph, such as the graph title and labels, line colors and style, and axis bounds by right-clicking a graph and choosing Properties.

Table 35. Data viewer graph formats.

Tab Name | Graph Format Description
DMap | 8,760 point data map showing entire year of hourly data in a single graph
Hourly | Time series line graph, use scroll bars and zoom buttons to view entire data set
Daily | Daily average line graph
Monthly | Monthly average line graph
Boxplot | Monthly average with daily and monthly minima and maxima
Profile | Average daily profiles by month
PDF | Probability distribution function
CDF | Cumulative distribution function
DC | Duration curve

Table 36. Hourly data variable names and explanations for parabolic trough systems.

Variable name | Units | Description
--- | --- | ---
E_dump | MW | solar electric generation in excess of power plant maximum output
E_gross | MW | gross total electric generation
E_min | MW | solar electric generation below minimum power plant output
E_net | MW | net electric energy production (gross parasitics)
E_parasit | MW | total parasitics for entire system
Epar_OffLine | MW | total offline parasitic losses
Epar_OnLine | MW | total online parasitic losses
Q_abs | W/m2 | absorbed energy
Q_dni | MW | solar radiation incident on the collector
Q_dump | MW | the amount of energy dumped (in excess of turbine and storage)
Q_from_ts | MW | energy from thermal storage
Q_gas | MW | gas thermal energy Input
Q_hftFpHtr | MW | HTF freeze protection from auxiliary heater
Q_htfFPTES | MW | HTF freeze protection from thermal energy storage
Q_nip | W/m2 | measured beam radiation
Q_SF(MW) | MW | solar field thermal output (availability factor not applied)
Q_to_PB | MW | energy to the power block
Q_to_ts | MW | energy to thermal storage
Q_ts_Full | MW | energy dumped because the thermal storage is full
Q_tur_SU | MW | the energy needed to startup the turbine
QSF_Abs | MW | absorbed energy for the solar field
QSF_HCE_HL | MW | receiver heat losses for the solar field
QSF_nipCosTh | MW | measured beam radiation cosine theta
QSF_Pipe_HL | MW | piping heat losses for the solar field
QTS_HL | MW | energy losses from thermal storage
TIME | none | hour of the year
TOUPeriod | none | time of use periods (1 through 6)

Table 37. Hourly data variable names and explanations for PV systems.

Variable Name | Units | Description
ACPower | kW | AC power at inverter output, not derated
AmbTemp | °C | ambient temperature
CellTemp | °C | cell temperature
DCPower | kW | DC power at array output, not derated
GlobHozRad | kW/m2 | global horizontal radiation
IncBeamRad | kW/m2 | incident beam radiation
IncDiffRad | kW/m2 | incident diffuse radiation
IncTotRad | kW/m2 | incident total radiation
InvEff | none | inverter efficiency by hour
InvPartLoad | none | inverter part load efficiency by hour
TIME | none | hour of the year
Windspd | m/s | wind speed