AUSTELA is working with leading research agencies to connect Australian decision-makers with leading research in solar thermal power.
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If your organization is involved in solar thermal energy development, technology or investment in Australia, you need to The NREL System Advisor Model for Australian CSP Stakeholders (SAM)
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- Created on Thursday, 25 July 2013 09:39
- Written by AUSTELA
AUSTELA is pleased to announce the availability of new online tools to assist in the evaluation of CSP projects and system performance in Australia – the NREL System Advisor Model for Australian CSP Stakeholders.
Predicting the output of a CSP system is a complex process. Thermal systems include multiple subsystem whose behaviour at any point in time depends not only on the instantaneous conditions the whole system experiences, but also the recent history of its operation.
Of a range of applications used globally to model CSP systems, one of the most respected is the free-to-use System Advisor Model (SAM) developed by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) in the USA.
With support from the Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA), AUSTELA commissioned IT Power (Aust) to develop a set of data models designed specifically for Australia's market, to make easier the task of using SAM to assess CSP projects in Australia. A Companion User Guide has also been developed, providing step-by-step guidance in the use of the models and use of SAM for Australian conditions.
The SAM model is general purpose and can predict hourly, monthly and annual output of CSP, Concentrating PV, flat plate PV and a range of other renewable energy systems. There has been an extensive body of work around its application to CSP systems in particular.
The new Australian models draw on the extensive and continuing development of SAM.
The Australian SAM models are available free-of-charge for AUSTELA members and supporters.
They can be found at the project's page here.
