System Advisor Model, SAM 2014.1.14: General Description

Technical Report · Sat Feb 01 00:00:00 EST 2014

DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/1126294· OSTI ID:1126294

Blair, Nate ^[1]; Dobos, Aron P. ^[1]; Freeman, Janine ^[1]; Neises, Ty ^[1]; Wagner, Michael ^[1]; Ferguson, Tom ^[2]; Gilman, Paul ^[1]; Janzou, Steven ^[3]

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1. National Renewable Energy Lab. (NREL), Golden, CO (United States)
2. Global Resources, Northbrook, IL (United States)
3. Janzou Consulting, Idaho Springs, CO (United States)

This document describes the capabilities of the U.S. Department of Energy and National Renewable Energy Laboratory's System Advisor Model (SAM), Version 2013.9.20, released on September 9, 2013. SAM is a computer model that calculates performance and financial metrics of renewable energy systems. Project developers, policy makers, equipment manufacturers, and researchers use graphs and tables of SAM results in the process of evaluating financial, technology, and incentive options for renewable energy projects. SAM simulates the performance of photovoltaic, concentrating solar power, solar water heating, wind, geothermal, biomass, and conventional power systems. The financial model can represent financial structures for projects that either buy and sell electricity at retail rates (residential and commercial) or sell electricity at a price determined in a power purchase agreement (utility). SAM's advanced simulation options facilitate parametric and sensitivity analyses, and statistical analysis capabilities are available for Monte Carlo simulation and weather variability (P50/P90) studies. SAM can also read input variables from Microsoft Excel worksheets. For software developers, the SAM software development kit (SDK) makes it possible to use SAM simulation modules in their applications written in C/C++, C#, Java, Python, and MATLAB. NREL provides both SAM and the SDK as free downloads at http://sam.nrel.gov. Technical support and more information about the software are available on the website.

• Research Organization: National Renewable Energy Lab. (NREL), Golden, CO (United States)
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE), Renewable Power Office. Solar Energy Technologies Office
• DOE Contract Number: AC36-08GO28308
• OSTI ID: 1126294
• Report Number(s): NREL/TP-6A20-61019
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

14 SOLAR ENERGY
32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATION
47 OTHER INSTRUMENTATION
97 MATHEMATICS AND COMPUTING
SAM
SYSTEM ADVISOR MODEL
RENEWABLE ENERGY MODEL
PERFORMANCE MODEL
FINANCIAL MODEL
SOFTWARE DEVELOPMENT KIT
SDK
Energy Analysis
Solar Energy - Thermal