Add inverter

[timbms]

c0nr3f was asking in #1709 how to add inverters not (yet) included in database.
Like Kostal Plenticore Plus. Happy to support because I precisely configured it for this inverter.

[cwhanse]

Thanks @timbms for transferring to a discussion. The original question:

"How can I add an inverter, that is neither present in the database nor on the nhrel website ? I use a Kostal Plenticore plus and besides the typical values like the voltages and max power and current, I don't know where to get C-values from. Any suggestions or some kind of tool that can be used to calculate these?"

@c0nr3f

[c0nr3f]

Thank you @timbms and @cwhanse for transferring the question!

[c0nr3f]

So how do I add this inverter? Is there a tool or did found the values in the datasheet? I use a Kostal Plenticore plus 5.5.

[cwhanse]

If you are willing to digitize the Pac vs. efficiency curves from the datasheet (and convert from efficiency back to Pdc input), you can use this function to get the parameters for the Sandia model.

pvlib-python/pvlib/inverter.py

Line 440 in 7a2ec9b

def fit_sandia(ac_power, dc_power, dc_voltage, dc_voltage_level, p_ac_0, p_nt):

[c0nr3f]

@cwhanse Thanks, I will try that!

@timbms Can you share your parameters for your inverter model?

[mikofski]

Hi Folks, sorry I really thought I had responded somewhere, but maybe I forgot to click send. Anyway, yes we can add new inverters that fit the CEC model to pvfree, but first I'd like to explore and define how that should be structured and find a way to perhaps share some of the responsibility. Currently all data in pvfree is sourced exclusively from SAM, and I bear the entire burden of maintaining the site. Currently the "Source" key is parsed from the "Name" of the module because that's the way SAM CSV files are tabulated, so there's no column that explicitly states where the data came from.

[adriesse]

Alternatively this could be a commercial or semi-commercial undertaking as it requires some investment of time and effort.

[wholmgren]

A first step could be to brainstorm a repository/data structure and GitHub workflow that would allow for the standard data sources and user contributions. Then some pvlib examples of using that data directly from GitHub. Finally integrate the data into an application (pvfree or others).

[cwhanse]

A first step could be to brainstorm a repository/data structure and GitHub workflow that would allow for the standard data sources and user contributions.

That's half of the original motivation of pvlib/pvmodules. The other motivation is to make public the code that processes the CEC data to get the SAM files.

[adriesse]

A first step could be to brainstorm a repository/data structure and GitHub workflow that would allow for the standard data sources and user contributions.

That's half of the original motivation of pvlib/pvmodules. The other motivation is to make public the code that processes the CEC data to get the SAM files.

That's sounds pretty easy and not dependent on the rest.