Feature request: kVA demand processing

Hi

Feature request: kVA demand processing
Hi can the upload of kVA data along with kWh for the load profile and related post processing be considered?

Demand charging based upon kVA rather than kWs/kWhs is becoming the norm for my market in Australia. As the application of unity Power factor solar systems impact kVA less than kWh, yet another anti solar push

Thanks for a great product

Mark

Hi Mark,

We decided not to include kVA as a unit for demand charges partly to avoid making the Electricity Rates page more complicated than it already is, and partly because it seems like you can make a reasonable estimate by converting kVA to kW.

I will pass on your request -- similar changes are also afoot on this side of the world, so we may make that change in a future version of SAM.

Best regards,
Paul.

Hi Paul

Thanks for the response and consideration of my request.

I'm not sure how you can make a reasonable estimate by converting kVA to kW, especially within one SAM project (combining kW energy impacts and kVA demand impacts into a financial result). I believe you have to do vector based calculation to accurately calculate solar PV's impact (at unity power factor) on the apparent power (kVA) supplied by grid at whatever power factor that sites load type demands.

Also, as the addition of solar worsens the power factor, PF penalties may apply, yet another calculation

I do these kVA impacts calculations outside SAM currently and add them to the SAM results, so no problems. It would be nice to see this addition in the future.

Thanks
Mark

Hi Mark,

I'm not sure that we will move SAM very much in the direction of that level of detail of load and grid power modeling. Your approach of doing those calculations outside of SAM is the best we can do for now. You could integrate those calculations into SAM by making the calculations in an LK script.

Best regards,
Paul.