Conversion technology parameters¶
| Parameter | Definition | Unit | Default |
|---|---|---|---|
| Technology Name | The name of the technology; must be unique within the scenario. | – | – |
| Virtual Technology | A virtual technology is a technology used purely for accounting purposes in the optimization. It converts one energy carrier to another at zero cost and with 100% efficiency. If set to true, the efficiency, costs, and other values are automatically fixed to these values. | – | – |
| Stages | List of stages where the installation and operation of this technology are permitted. | – | – |
| Hubs | List of hubs where the installation and operation of this technology are permitted. | – | – |
| Installation Options | These options are mutually exclusive, meaning only one can be selected at a time. Options: Can be installed, Must be installed, Must be installed in at least one hub. | – | Can be installed |
| Primary Modes | At least one primary mode must be selected. The primary modes of a technology define which modes are used to calculate costs that depend on capacity. | – | – |
| Seasonal & Hourly Operation | Specifies the allowed seasons for the technology's operation. If hourly operation is selected, you can upload a profile with values ranging from 100% to 0%, indicating the max allowable operation per hour as a percentage of installed capacity. | % (profile values) | – |
| Input Energy Carriers | The input energy carriers of a technology mode; you can select multiple. | – | – |
| Output Energy Carriers | The output energy carriers of a technology mode; you can select multiple. | – | – |
| Input EC Share | For multi-input technologies, defines the ratio between inputs, representing the share of energy contributed by each energy carrier (EC). Values are absolute and can exceed 100. | – | – |
| Output EC Efficiency | The conversion efficiency for producing a specific energy carrier in a mode relative to total inputs. | % | – |
| Primary Output | Each technology mode must have a primary output energy carrier defining the mode's capacity for capacity-dependent cost calculations. | – | – |
| Technology Capacity | Select whether to optimize capacity or specify capacity manually. | – | – |
| Capacity | The pre-defined fixed capacity of the technology mode, determined by primary output energy carriers; visible only if Specify Capacity is selected. | kW | – |
| Maximum Capacity | The maximum allowable capacity of the technology mode, determined by primary output energy carriers; visible only if the Optimize option is selected. | kW | – |
| Minimum Capacity | The minimum allowable capacity of the technology mode, determined by primary output energy carriers; visible only if the Optimize option is selected. | kW | – |
| Maximum Annual Output | The maximum allowable annual energy output of the technology mode, determined by primary output energy carriers. | kWh/year | – |
| Minimum Annual Output | The minimum allowable annual energy output of the technology mode, determined by primary output energy carriers. | kWh/year | – |
| Curtailment Limitation | The percentage of maximum power capacity that cannot be curtailed. For example, 100% means no curtailment is possible. | % | 100% |
| Peak Power | Ratio of maximum operational power to installed capacity, allowing operation at higher or lower power levels without changing installed capacity or costs. | kWmax/kW | 1 |
| Minimum Part Load | If greater than 0%, indicates the technology's lower operational capacity limit as a percentage of installed capacity. | % | – |
| Minimum Up Time | Constrains the mode to remain operational for a minimum number of hours once started. | Hours | – |
| Minimum Down Time | Constrains the mode to remain non-operational for a minimum number of hours once shut down. | Hours | – |
| Simultaneous Operation | If False, prevents this mode from operating simultaneously with other modes within this technology. | – | True |
| Lifetime | The technical lifetime of the technology in years, used for calculating replacement costs and salvage value. | Years | – |
| Fixed Investment Cost | Fixed investment costs incurred upon installation regardless of size. | Currency | – |
| Variable Investment Cost | Variable investment costs per kW of installed capacity, determined by primary output energy carriers of primary modes. | Currency/kW | – |
| Fixed O&M Cost | Fixed operation and maintenance costs incurred annually. | Currency/year | – |
| Variable O&M Cost | Variable operation and maintenance costs incurred annually, based on: percentage of total investment, per installed kW, or per total production. | %/year, Currency/kW/year, Currency/kWh/year | – |
| Fixed Replacement Cost | Fixed replacement costs incurred when the technology is replaced at end of technical lifetime, regardless of size. | Currency/year | – |
| Variable Replacement Cost | Variable replacement costs incurred when the technology is replaced at end of lifetime, based on percentage of total investment or per installed kW. | %, Currency/kW | – |
| Fixed Salvage Value | Fixed salvage value incurred when the technology is salvaged at end of an investment stage, regardless of size. | Currency/year | – |
| Variable Salvage Value | Variable salvage value incurred when the technology is salvaged at end of an investment stage, based on percentage of total investment or per installed kW. | %, Currency/kW | – |
| Fixed Embodied CO2 | Fixed embodied CO2 emitted when the technology is installed, regardless of size. | kg-CO2 | – |
| Variable Embodied CO2 | Variable embodied CO2 emitted, based on installed kW or total production. | kg-CO2/kW, kg-CO2/kWh/year | – |
| Variable Captured CO2 | CO2 captured during operation, expressed per kWh of total input energy carrier of primary modes. | kg-CO2/kWh/year | – |
Certain advanced parameters are not available to all plan users, but can be added through our add-on options. Contact our customer support team for a demo and to discuss how we could customize these options to your needs.