Simulation HCPV

Dear Zaynab,

The packing factor input is only used to calculate the land cost on the System Costs page. It only affects the cost calculation. It has no effect on the calculation of the system's electricity output. It also only affects the cost calculation if you specify a land cost in $/acre on the System Costs page. The value of the packing factor depends on how far apart the modules are on the ground, and how much extra land you need for buildings or other facilities. You should choose a value that results in the total land area you plan to use for the project. If you are not considering costs for your analysis, you can ignore that input.

Please see the explanation of shading derate in the Help system. You can find that description by clicking the "Help" button at the top right of the SAM window, or pressing the F1 key (control-? on a Mac). The shading derate explanation is at the bottom of the page for the "Array" Help topic.

Best regards,
Paul.