Load profile: ASCII file definition |
  
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Load profile: ASCII file definition |
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See also 'User's needs'
The most flexible way for defining a custom load profile is to input it as an ASCII (CSV) hourly file.
Hourly Parameters file
The ASCII input source file should be prepared in a spreadsheet program (like MS-EXCEL), in the CSV-format (Comma Separated Values, separator may be semicolons or commas).
You can find a template named "PARAMS_Hourly_Template.CSV" :
| - | either in the program's location, usually C:\ program files (x86) \ PVsyst7.x \ DataRO \ PVsyst7.0_Data \ Templates \. |
| - | or in your workspace C: \ users \ YourSession \ PVsyst7.0_Data \ Templates \. |
In the latter case you should update/reload this file using "Files > Workspace > reload templates" in the main menu.
When modified, you will put your data file in your workspace \"user"\ PVsyst7.0_Data \ UserHourlyParams \
PVsyst standard format for hourly parameters
The required format for the import of hourly parameters in PVsyst is the following:
| - | Text file (CSV format with commas or semicolons) written in ANSI (not UTF8). |
| - | All lines beginning by # are comments, ignored. |
| - | The blank lines are ignored. |
| - | The first line without # holds the column titles. It should begin by "Date", and "P Load" for an hourly load power (other keywords for other parameters will be defined in the future). |
| - | Second line: units of the data in this column, will be read and interpreted by the program. |
| - | In sub-hourly data, specifying [kW] will be interpreted as powers (values will be averaged within the hour step), and [kWh] will be energies (values will be added within the hour). |
| - | First column of data: date and hour in EXCEL format (both Europen DD/MM/YY hh:mm or US MM/DD/YY hh:mm formats are recognized). |
| - | Other columns: values according to the column title and units. |
| - | The file should contain all hours of a generic year (from 01/01 at 0H00 to 31/12 at 23:00). The year is ignored. |
| - | These dates/hours are not related to the real dates of your input meteo file: they are for each hour of a generic year. |
| - | Time label = beginning of the year. |
Use of the file
After carefully preparing this file, the "Hourly Parameter" dialog will ask for choosing it in your workspace \ UserHourlyParams \, or anywhere else..
The file contents will appear, so that you can check it.
The program will also check its validity, give some integrated values, and you can analyze it with plots.
The dialog will ask if you want to:
| - | Read the file at the time of the simulation (may be useful for batch mode), |
| - | Read the file immediately and store it internally in your calculation version as input parameters for the simulation. |
Sub-hourly data
It is also possible to read sub-hourly data (for example Load profiles in 15-minutes steps).
However the PVsyst simulation works in hourly values, therefore only hourly accumulated values will be imported.
The time step and accumulations are automatically recognized according to your dates and specified units. Power units in [W] or [kW] will be averaged, Energy units in [Wh], [kWh] will be accumulated within the hour.