Simulation

Last modified: 07 Jul 2025

The simulation in VCOM provides a real-time target value of expected power/energy for each of your PV systems. The simulation affects the following areas of VCOM:

• Solar power chart

• Variance analysis chart

• Loss breakdown chart

• Inverter simulation chart

• Control visualization chart

• Current system status portlet

• Total outage alarms and Misproduction alarms: Separate configuration required. See Calculation methods for total outage and misproduction alarms.

Simulation parameters

Target range

The Target range is an acceptable deviation from the simulated, expected power/energy. It is a percentage that is applied to the simulation's target value on the Solar power chart. It is interpreted as +/-, that is plus and minus target range relative to the base value.

Data outside of this range is considered a yield loss. For information on calculating yield losses, see Yield loss calculation.

Simulation methods

The following methods are used to estimate theoretical production. The method you choose depends on your system setup and preferences.

Target performance ratio (PR)

This is the default method and is a basic simulation based on the Target performance ratio.

Physical simulation

The physical simulation uses additional parameters to provide more accurate results:

• Sensor irradiance: All irradiance sensors defined in a system are taken into account, depending on how they fit the production. This includes sensors connected to the data logger and sensors defined as a term.

• Number of modules

• Module power: maximum power points in the subsystem setup

• Number of inverters

• Inverter output power: rated output power

• Power control correction value

Expand for further details on the physical simulation

Prerequisites

• All inverters are assigned to a subsystem

• At least one working irradiance sensor

Note

Satellite data is used as a fallback if no sensor data is available and the system has a valid configuration. See Set up a new system.

The satellite data is based on the following site parameters: longitude and latitude, height above sea level, ambient temperature from weather models, module inclination and orientation, and whether a tracker is used.

Machine learning simulation (artificial intelligence optimized simulation)

Machine learning algorithms analyze the historically measured data of the PV system and optimize the physical simulation. The machine learning simulation allows you to learn site-specific characteristics such as shading, clipping, and degradation.

Expand for further details on the machine learning simulation

Prerequisites

• All inverters are assigned to a subsystem

• At least one working irradiance sensor

• 70% or more of the daytime data points are valid

• At least two weeks’ worth of valid training data within the last 30 days is available

Comparison of the physical simulation and machine learning simulation

The graphics below show how the physical simulation can be improved with machine learning, using clipping and shading as examples.

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Examples

Clipping

Shading

Configure the simulation

Select the simulation method you want to use to calculate the expected power in the evaluation charts.

Steps

1. At SYSTEM LEVEL, navigate to System configuration > Calculations > Simulation.

2. Select a percentage for the Target range.

3. Select the Simulation method.

4. Select Save.

The selected method is now applied to calculations and the expected power/energy is displayed in the charts accordingly.

We recommend selecting a simulation method and target range once and only changing it if you want to compare which options display the best results for your system. When making any changes, be sure to select Save. To view the updated solar power chart, navigate to Evaluation > Solar power chart > Refresh . If you change the simulation method, you do not need to perform a recalculation.

Recalculate simulation values

If you change a term, for example, an irradiance term, you may need to recalculate the simulation.

Note

Switching from one simulation method to another does not require recalculation.

Steps

1. At SYSTEM LEVEL, navigate to System configuration > Calculations > Simulation.

2. Under Recalculation, select the period you want to recalculate.

3. Select Start recalculation.

The recalculation will appear in the table below, and the recalculated values will be applied to the relevant charts.