Getting Started |

Welcome to the Solar Advisor Model Version 2010! To read a general description of the model and its capabilities, see About the Solar Advisor Model. To begin using the model, keep reading below. If you have just installed the software and are running it for the first time, the best place to start is with one of the sample templates. Each template demonstrates either a feature of the software or one of the technologies. When you open a template, Solar Advisor creates a project. A project is a .zsam file and contains a complete set of inputs and results copied from the template. Choose a sample template for the technology that most interests you:
If you are interested in... | Choose this sample template...
photovoltaic systems: residential, commercial, utility-scale | Sample PV Systems
concentrating photovoltaic systems | Sample PV Systems
the PVWatts model for photovoltaic systems | Sample PV Systems
parabolic trough systems | Sample Parabolic Trough Systems
dish-Stirling systems | Sample Dish Stirling Systems
power tower or central receiver systems | Sample Power Tower Systems
domestic hot water systems | Sample Solar Hot Water System in CA
To open a sample template:
1. | On the Welcome page, scroll through the list of sample files, and double-click the file name for a system or analysis example.
Once the file is open, you can open other sample templates by clicking Open Sample Template on the File menu: When you open the sample template, Solar Advisor creates a new project file with the .zsam extension using the name of the sample template. Solar Advisor displays the software version and the project file name in the main window's title bar. The main window gives you access to the input pages for each of the cases in the project:
• | The case tabs display different cases in the project. A project may consist of a single case, or may contain more than one case. Click a tab to display the case. Click the 'x' on a tab to delete the case.
• | The navigation menu displays a list of input pages available for the technology and market of the current case. Click an item in the navigation menu to display an input page. The active input page is indicated on the menu in blue. When the menu is too long to fit in the window, use the vertical scroll bar to move through the menu, or resize the Main window to make the entire menu visible. Each item on the navigation menu also displays key data the input pages. For example, the system costs item in the navigation menu shows the system's total installed cost.
Next: Manage Cases