Package Overview

Introduction

The core mission of pvlib-python is to provide open, reliable, interoperable, and benchmark implementations of PV system models.

There are at least as many opinions about how to model PV systems as there are modelers of PV systems, so pvlib-python provides several modeling paradigms.

Modeling paradigms

The backbone of pvlib-python is well-tested procedural code that implements PV system models. pvlib-python also provides a collection of classes for users that prefer object-oriented programming. These classes can help users keep track of data in a more organized way, provide some “smart” functions with more flexible inputs, and simplify the modeling process for common situations. The classes do not add any algorithms beyond what’s available in the procedural code, and most of the object methods are simple wrappers around the corresponding procedural code.

Let’s use each of these pvlib modeling paradigms to calculate the yearly energy yield for a given hardware configuration at a handful of sites listed below.

In [1]: import pandas as pd

In [2]: import matplotlib.pyplot as plt

# seaborn makes the plots look nicer
In [3]: import seaborn as sns

In [4]: sns.set_color_codes()

In [5]: naive_times = pd.DatetimeIndex(start='2015', end='2016', freq='1h')

# very approximate
# latitude, longitude, name, altitude, timezone
In [6]: coordinates = [(30, -110, 'Tucson', 700, 'Etc/GMT+7'),
   ...:                (35, -105, 'Albuquerque', 1500, 'Etc/GMT+7'),
   ...:                (40, -120, 'San Francisco', 10, 'Etc/GMT+8'),
   ...:                (50, 10, 'Berlin', 34, 'Etc/GMT-1')]
   ...: 

In [7]: import pvlib

# get the module and inverter specifications from SAM
In [8]: sandia_modules = pvlib.pvsystem.retrieve_sam('SandiaMod')

In [9]: sapm_inverters = pvlib.pvsystem.retrieve_sam('sandiainverter')

In [10]: module = sandia_modules['Canadian_Solar_CS5P_220M___2009_']

In [11]: inverter = sapm_inverters['ABB__MICRO_0_25_I_OUTD_US_208_208V__CEC_2014_']

# specify constant ambient air temp and wind for simplicity
In [12]: temp_air = 20

In [13]: wind_speed = 0

Procedural

The straightforward procedural code can be used for all modeling steps in pvlib-python.

The following code demonstrates how to use the procedural code to accomplish our system modeling goal:

In [14]: system = {'module': module, 'inverter': inverter,
   ....:           'surface_azimuth': 180}
   ....: 

In [15]: energies = {}

# localize datetime indices (pvlib>=0.3.0)
In [16]: for latitude, longitude, name, altitude, timezone in coordinates:
   ....:     times = naive_times.tz_localize(timezone)
   ....:     system['surface_tilt'] = latitude
   ....:     cs = pvlib.clearsky.ineichen(times, latitude, longitude, altitude=altitude)
   ....:     solpos = pvlib.solarposition.get_solarposition(times, latitude, longitude)
   ....:     dni_extra = pvlib.irradiance.extraradiation(times)
   ....:     dni_extra = pd.Series(dni_extra, index=times)
   ....:     airmass = pvlib.atmosphere.relativeairmass(solpos['apparent_zenith'])
   ....:     pressure = pvlib.atmosphere.alt2pres(altitude)
   ....:     am_abs = pvlib.atmosphere.absoluteairmass(airmass, pressure)
   ....:     aoi = pvlib.irradiance.aoi(system['surface_tilt'], system['surface_azimuth'],
   ....:                                solpos['apparent_zenith'], solpos['azimuth'])
   ....:     total_irrad = pvlib.irradiance.total_irrad(system['surface_tilt'],
   ....:                                                system['surface_azimuth'],
   ....:                                                solpos['apparent_zenith'],
   ....:                                                solpos['azimuth'],
   ....:                                                cs['dni'], cs['ghi'], cs['dhi'],
   ....:                                                dni_extra=dni_extra,
   ....:                                                model='haydavies')
   ....:     temps = pvlib.pvsystem.sapm_celltemp(total_irrad['poa_global'],
   ....:                                          wind_speed, temp_air)
   ....:     dc = pvlib.pvsystem.sapm(module, total_irrad['poa_direct'],
   ....:                              total_irrad['poa_diffuse'], temps['temp_cell'],
   ....:                              am_abs, aoi)
   ....:     ac = pvlib.pvsystem.snlinverter(inverter, dc['v_mp'], dc['p_mp'])
   ....:     annual_energy = ac.sum()
   ....:     energies[name] = annual_energy
   ....: 

In [17]: energies = pd.Series(energies)

# based on the parameters specified above, these are in W*hrs
In [18]: print(energies.round(0))
Albuquerque      512616.0
Berlin           399745.0
San Francisco    458293.0
Tucson           477008.0
dtype: float64

In [19]: energies.plot(kind='bar', rot=0)
Out[19]: <matplotlib.axes._subplots.AxesSubplot at 0x7fe9ef4bb590>

In [20]: plt.ylabel('Yearly energy yield (W hr)')
Out[20]: <matplotlib.text.Text at 0x7fe9f6855350>
_images/proc-energies.png

pvlib-python provides a basic_chain() function that implements much of the code above. Use this function with a full understanding of what it is doing internally!

In [21]: from pvlib.modelchain import basic_chain

In [22]: energies = {}

In [23]: for latitude, longitude, name, altitude, timezone in coordinates:
   ....:     dc, ac = basic_chain(naive_times.tz_localize(timezone),
   ....:                          latitude, longitude,
   ....:                          module, inverter,
   ....:                          altitude=altitude,
   ....:                          orientation_strategy='south_at_latitude_tilt')
   ....:     annual_energy = ac.sum()
   ....:     energies[name] = annual_energy
   ....: 

In [24]: energies = pd.Series(energies)

# based on the parameters specified above, these are in W*hrs
In [25]: print(energies.round(0))
Albuquerque      512417.0
Berlin           399312.0
San Francisco    458069.0
Tucson           476831.0
dtype: float64

In [26]: energies.plot(kind='bar', rot=0)
Out[26]: <matplotlib.axes._subplots.AxesSubplot at 0x7fe9f6839150>

In [27]: plt.ylabel('Yearly energy yield (W hr)')
Out[27]: <matplotlib.text.Text at 0x7fe9f6803d50>
_images/basic-chain-energies.png

Object oriented (Location, PVSystem, ModelChain)

The first object oriented paradigm uses a model where a PVSystem object represents an assembled collection of modules, inverters, etc., a Location object represents a particular place on the planet, and a ModelChain object describes the modeling chain used to calculate PV output at that Location. This can be a useful paradigm if you prefer to think about the PV system and its location as separate concepts or if you develop your own ModelChain subclasses. It can also be helpful if you make extensive use of Location-specific methods for other calculations.

The following code demonstrates how to use Location, PVSystem, and ModelChain objects to accomplish our system modeling goal:

In [28]: from pvlib.pvsystem import PVSystem

In [29]: from pvlib.location import Location

In [30]: from pvlib.modelchain import ModelChain

In [31]: system = PVSystem(module_parameters=module,
   ....:                   inverter_parameters=inverter)
   ....: 

In [32]: energies = {}

In [33]: for latitude, longitude, name, altitude, timezone in coordinates:
   ....:     location = Location(latitude, longitude, name=name, altitude=altitude,
   ....:                         tz=timezone)
   ....:     mc = ModelChain(system, location,
   ....:                     orientation_strategy='south_at_latitude_tilt')
   ....:     mc.run_model(naive_times.tz_localize(timezone))
   ....:     annual_energy = mc.ac.sum()
   ....:     energies[name] = annual_energy
   ....: 

In [34]: energies = pd.Series(energies)

# based on the parameters specified above, these are in W*hrs
In [35]: print(energies.round(0))
Albuquerque      512417.0
Berlin           399312.0
San Francisco    458069.0
Tucson           476831.0
dtype: float64

In [36]: energies.plot(kind='bar', rot=0)
Out[36]: <matplotlib.axes._subplots.AxesSubplot at 0x7fe9ef5dce10>

In [37]: plt.ylabel('Yearly energy yield (W hr)')
Out[37]: <matplotlib.text.Text at 0x7fe9ef5ed3d0>
_images/modelchain-energies.png

Object oriented (LocalizedPVSystem)

The second object oriented paradigm uses a model where a LocalizedPVSystem represents a PV system at a particular place on the planet. This can be a useful paradigm if you’re thinking about a power plant that already exists.

The following code demonstrates how to use a LocalizedPVSystem object to accomplish our modeling goal:

In [38]: from pvlib.pvsystem import LocalizedPVSystem

In [39]: energies = {}

In [40]: for latitude, longitude, name, altitude, timezone in coordinates:
   ....:     localized_system = LocalizedPVSystem(module_parameters=module,
   ....:                                          inverter_parameters=inverter,
   ....:                                          surface_tilt=latitude,
   ....:                                          surface_azimuth=180,
   ....:                                          latitude=latitude,
   ....:                                          longitude=longitude,
   ....:                                          name=name,
   ....:                                          altitude=altitude,
   ....:                                          tz=timezone)
   ....:     times = naive_times.tz_localize(timezone)
   ....:     clearsky = localized_system.get_clearsky(times)
   ....:     solar_position = localized_system.get_solarposition(times)
   ....:     total_irrad = localized_system.get_irradiance(solar_position['apparent_zenith'],
   ....:                                                   solar_position['azimuth'],
   ....:                                                   clearsky['dni'],
   ....:                                                   clearsky['ghi'],
   ....:                                                   clearsky['dhi'])
   ....:     temps = localized_system.sapm_celltemp(total_irrad['poa_global'],
   ....:                                            wind_speed, temp_air)
   ....:     aoi = localized_system.get_aoi(solar_position['apparent_zenith'],
   ....:                                    solar_position['azimuth'])
   ....:     airmass = localized_system.get_airmass(solar_position=solar_position)
   ....:     dc = localized_system.sapm(total_irrad['poa_direct'],
   ....:                                total_irrad['poa_diffuse'],
   ....:                                temps['temp_cell'],
   ....:                                airmass['airmass_absolute'],
   ....:                                aoi)
   ....:     ac = localized_system.snlinverter(dc['v_mp'], dc['p_mp'])
   ....:     annual_energy = ac.sum()
   ....:     energies[name] = annual_energy
   ....: 

In [41]: energies = pd.Series(energies)

# based on the parameters specified above, these are in W*hrs
In [42]: print(energies.round(0))
Albuquerque      512583.0
Berlin           399745.0
San Francisco    458293.0
Tucson           476994.0
dtype: float64

In [43]: energies.plot(kind='bar', rot=0)
Out[43]: <matplotlib.axes._subplots.AxesSubplot at 0x7fe9ef649f90>

In [44]: plt.ylabel('Yearly energy yield (W hr)')
Out[44]: <matplotlib.text.Text at 0x7fe9ef4db850>
_images/localized-pvsystem-energies.png

User extensions

There are many other ways to organize PV modeling code. We encourage you to build on these paradigms and to share your experiences with the pvlib community via issues and pull requests.

Getting support

The best way to get support is to make an issue on our GitHub issues page .

How do I contribute?

We’re so glad you asked! Please see our wiki for information and instructions on how to contribute. We really appreciate it!

Credits

The pvlib-python community thanks Sandia National Lab for developing PVLIB Matlab and for supporting Rob Andrews of Calama Consulting to port the library to Python. Will Holmgren thanks the DOE EERE Postdoctoral Fellowship program for support. The pvlib-python maintainers thank all of pvlib’s contributors of issues and especially pull requests. The pvlib-python community thanks all of the maintainers and contributors to the PyData stack.