No 'export to excel' option available in the cash flow summary page

dear paul, can you tell me why there is no 'export to excel' option available in the cash flow summary page for mac os x while using the commercial photovoltaic model/simulation? is this an error or am i missing something/doing something incorrectly. i'm interested in exporting the cash flow model to excel and tracing the formulas. please advise...

fyi...i downloaded/installed the release on our microsoft 8 pc in the office and it does have the 'export to excel' option available. it looks like it's a mac os x issue. also, while we're on the subject of mac os x bugs, the 'energy loss' graph in the summary page is blank meaning there are no color-coded bar-graphs representing the energy loss %'s. please advise on how to proceed. i de-installed and re-installed the software on my macbook air today and the problems continued...

thank you, brian

Dear Brian,

Unfortunately, the "send-to-Excel" functions do not work in OS X because they rely on Microsoft's OLE technology, which OS X does not support.

The Excel workbooks that SAM uses for the send-to-Excel are available on your Mac, so you can at least trace through the formulas even if you cannot automatically export the SAM input values to the workbook. To find the workbook, open the SAM disk image (control-click the SAM icon and then click "Show Package Contents.") The workbook is under Contents, runtime, spreadsheets.

As for the loss diagram, that appears to be a bug. As you note, the graph displays correctly in Windows, but not OS X. We'll try to fix that for this month's update.

Best regards,
Paul.

Dear Paul, thank you for the explanation. I'm sorry to hear about the unsupported OLE technology in OS X, but I understand completely. I'll take a look at the workbook and go from there. As for the loss diagram, thank you for helping fix the bug. It's greatly appreciated...Brian S.

Dear Paul, I hope you're having a nice weekend. With regard to not having the "send to excel" function in OS X, would it be possible to write a macro that accomplishes this function for us? It would be a most helpful work-around for Mac version of your software. Please advise when you get a chance. Thanks, Brian S.

Dear Brian,

For now, it is not possible for SAM or LK to interact with Excel in OS X because of the OLE technology incompatibility that I mentioned above.

With some effort (and determination), you could write an LK script that would send values of SAM input variables to a CSV file, and then, in Excel, create a link between that CSV file and the Excel workbook that replicates the SAM single owner financial model cash flow model (see my Reply #2 above). The workbook cells that are populated by variables from SAM have named ranges, so you can use the Excel names manager to see what they are.

Best regards,
Paul.

Dear Paul, thank you for the explanation above. I'll take a look at it and get back you. If we decide to go in this direction, we'll make the LK script available to everyone as well. Warmest regards, Brian S.