Operational Parameters

The default operational parameters are 0.1 or 10% spinning reserve capacity for load, 1 or 100% spinning reserve capacity for resource, 0 or 0% battery reset charge, and 0.005 or 0.5% residual cutoff.

Spinning Reserve Parameters

The default spinning reserve capacity values are based on AVEC's experience successfully powering wind-diesel grid systems in remote Alaskan villages. Renewable energy sources, such as solar PV and wind turbines, can have highly variable outputs. That is why the default parameter is to have the capacity to cover all of the resource in case it drops to 0 output.

Battery Reset Charge

This value is the reset value that is set for the battery at the beginning of the calculation. It is not the same as the battery minimum charge. This value is used for the start of the calculation, for example if the battery is to be fully charged at the start of the calculation, this value would be 1 or 100%. In other words, the battery is not charged at the start of the calculation by default.

MiGRIDS Lite will choose the bigger value at the start of the calculation on the state of charge of the battery. If the reset charge is 0 or 0% and the minimum state of charge is 0.3 or 30%, then the battery charge starts at 0.3 or 30%. Likewise, if reset charge is 0.5 or 50% and the minimum state of charge is 0.3 or 30%, then the start charge is 0.5 or 50%.

Residual Cutoff

The way that MiGRIDS Lite calculates is iteratively, and ends by checking to see if the last calculation has not significantly changed from the previous. Specifically, it checks the battery state of charge columns between the new calculation and the old one. If the difference between these two columns by row is less than 0.005 or 0.5% by default, it terminates the calculation. Only change this value if you really know what you're doing.