Introduction to the

System Advisor Model (SAM)

Janine Freeman
July 22, 2020
SAM 2020 Webinar Series System Advisor Model

• Introduction to SAM Workshop July 22

• PV Systems in SAM 2020.2.29 Aug 5
• Batteries in SAM 2020.2.29:
o Focus on Battery Technology Aug 19
o Behind-the-Meter Systems Sep 2
o Front-of-Meter Systems Sep 16

Register for free at: https://sam.nrel.gov/events.html

This webinar will be recorded and posted on the SAM website at

https://sam.nrel.gov/

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Use the GoToWebinar control panel to ask questions

Instant Join
Viewer
Desktop
application

We will either type an answer to your question

or answer it at the end of the presentation.
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Webinar Outline
1. Introducing SAM
2. SAM User Interface Overview
3. New features in SAM 2020.2.29
Introducing SAM
System Advisor Model (SAM) & PVWatts System Advisor Model

Free software that enable detailed performance and financial

analysis for renewable energy systems

http://sam.nrel.gov/download
https://pvwatts.nrel.gov

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Steps to Modeling Renewable Energy

Weather Data Costs

System Specs Compensation

System Losses Financing

Electricity
Incentives
Production

Results
Annual, Monthly, and Hourly Output, Capacity Factor, LCOE, NPV, Payback, Revenue

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 Photovoltaics
Detailed & PVWatts

Technologies
Battery Storage
Concentrating solar power
Fuel cell-PV-battery
Wind
Marine Energy
Geothermal
Solar water heating
Biomass

Behind-the-meter
residential
commercial

Financial
third-party owned
Power purchase agreements
single owner
equity flips
sale-leaseback
Host/developer
Merchant plant
Simple LCOE calculator
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Who uses SAM? Why? System Advisor Model

• Lawmakers and Utilities

… to study how a policy would affect the economics of a typical
system
… to analyze different types of utility rate structures for renewables
• Developers and Engineers
… to compare technologies, sites, or configurations
… to estimate the Levelized Cost of Energy for a system
• Researchers
… to examine how an innovative concept might be able to lower
the Levelized Cost of Energy
… to estimate the technical potential of a technology in a region
• Students
… to learn about renewable energy
… to explore financing structures for renewable energy

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SAM & PVWatts are used at NREL, too System Advisor Model

Solar Engineers, Solar Installers, PV

Developers, Utilities. etc. Monitoring platforms, etc.
✓ Grid integration studies
Started every Over 8 million
2 minutes hits per month ✓ Renewable energy futures
✓ LCOE of breakthrough
technologies
SAM & PVWatts
✓ Policy and utility rate design
Consumer Adoption Capacity Expansion Production Cost
✓ Technical potential studies
Model- dGen Model- ReEDS Model- PLEXOS
✓ Commercial applications
(e.g. Southern Company,
Grid Integration
SunShot Vision Study
Studies (ERGIS, NARIS) AEP, Sunrun)

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SAM Users System Advisor Model

SAM is started once every 2 minutes

PVWatts receives over 8 million hits per month
Over 130,000 users in 190+ countries
90+ webinars with over 100,000 views
Users include Sunrun, Enphase, AEP, Southern Company, EPRI, & more

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What’s unique about this platform?
Detailed Cash Flow Financial Models System Advisor Model

No other tool provides detailed, time-based financial modeling

across multiple market sectors, including complex utility rates,
combined with detailed performance modeling

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 Detailed Battery Model System Advisor Model

Only publicly available tool with detailed battery model that

accounts for voltage characteristics, calendar and cycle degradation, etc

✓ Currently integrated with PV and “Generic System” model

✓ Available on DC or AC side of PV system
✓ Multiple automated dispatch strategies for different markets
✓ Behind-the-meter or front-of-the-meter operation

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Advanced Analysis Features System Advisor Model

Built-in parametric, stochastic, probability of exceedance

(P50/P90), and scripting features enable complex questions to be
answered quickly and easily

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 • Desktop Application
• Advanced Analysis Features
– Parametric
– Stochastic
– P50/P90
• Built-in Scripting Language
• Macros
How can you access • Software Development Kit (SDK)
– Python (PySAM package)
SAM models? – C/C++
– Matlab
– PHP
– C#
– Java
– VBA
– iOS / Android
• Web Services API (PVWatts Only)
• Open-source SAM code
Open Source Code System Advisor Model

✓ Flexible
✓ Transparent
✓ Collaborative

http://sam.nrel.gov/opensource

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 Extensive Help Documentation
• Website – http://sam.nrel.gov
o Support Forum – Ask your question!
o General info/ online help file / contact info
• YouTube Channel
o https://www.youtube.com/user/SAMDemoVideos
o All prior webinars and seminars
• Bi-Monthly Round Table sessions
o SAM team asks questions live
and interactively
• Email Support
o SAM support can provide
email support if question/bug
is involved

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Live User Interface Overview
New Features in SAM 2020.2.29
 Thank you! Questions?
Janine Freeman – project lead, photovoltaic and wind models
Nate Blair – emeritus lead, financials, costs, systems
Darice Guittet – software development, battery models
Brian Mirletz – software development, battery models
Matt Prilliman – photovoltaic and marine energy models
Steve Janzou – programming, utility rate structures (subcontractor)
Paul Gilman – user support and documentation (subcontractor)
Ty Neises – concentrating solar power models
Matt Boyd – concentrating solar power models

http://sam.nrel.gov