Simple Efficiency Model - Required Parameters

Hello,

Thanks for providing the SDK, SDK tool and documentation. My task is to use the SDK to produce a simulation that matches the attached SAM project which is uses the Simple Efficiency Model.

I have not been able to do it. I'm about 6-8% above SAM Desktop. Weather files and weather data can obviously vary, but I've done weather file comparison so I'm fairly confident that is not the source of error. So my thinking is that some of the input parameters have not been set correctly in the SSC module and this is the source of the difference.

I first looked at the inputs browser to compare and figure that out, but another support question said that parameters which are not used in the current simulation will still display in the browser. So I am trying to figure out which parameters are required (or optional) for my case.

I am looking at the SDK tool for pvsamv1. I have highlighted in green: required parameters, parameters which must be set (for this case), parameters with default values or parameters which appear in the inputs browser even if they are not marked required. I have highlighted optional parameters in yellow. It seems like the Required field was not maintained for all parameters.

Spreadsheet:
docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1ihabvfNtJr4p0o7v5Lp8lYenLjt4kloNE7miJH0dG-g/edit#gid=0

Version that anyone can edit:
docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1NMAT_T8wdd1MWJ1v4ThJHtwMqQsDOijFnGp-lCIIc5Y/edit#gid=0

I guess my questions are:
- How do I know for certain which parameters are used for this model?
- Further: are all Battery and Time Series category parameters ignored if I have a "No Battery" system and have not specified a system load? I'm only looking for system energy (annual, monthly, hourly)
- Is there a better way to go about this? Is there some reason SAM Desktop and the SSC (of the same version) would not match?

SAM version:
Version 2016.3.14, 64 bit, updated to revision 1
SSC Version 159: OS X 64 bit GNU/C++ Apr 8 2016 09:37:16

Thanks in advance for any insight,

John

Dear John,

I would recommend updating to either the latest version of SAM (2017.1.17), or the most recent update to SAM 2016.3.14 (2016.3.14 rev 4). You can download the latest and legacy versions of SAM from the Downloads page. You will need to log on to the website to download legacy versions.

Those versions have a new code generator that will generate code in either LK for SDKtool, C, or any of the other languages supported by the SDK wrappers from the case in your SAM desktop file. That code should produce results that are the same as those from the desktop version of SAM, provided you are using the same version of SSC as SAM.

If you use that approach, you can ignore the inputs that are not relevant to your simulation (e.g., battery inputs, load, etc.).

Best regards,
Paul.