Syllabus: (PV 430) Intro to System Advisor Model (SAM)
Prerequisites: PV 101 or NABCEP credential
Course Description
This five-hour course introduces participants to the System Advisor Model (SAM). SAM is a free software for techno-economic modeling of renewable energy projects provided by the U.S. Department of Energy National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) and is used by project developers, system designers, researchers, and others involved in making technical and financial decisions about renewable energy projects.
Course participants will work through examples of a residential/commercial rooftop photovoltaic system and cover assumptions for system design, retail electricity rates, and building loads, and analyze model results such as performance ratio, net present value (NPV), and payback period.
Learning Objectives
Upon completion of this course, participants will be able to:
- Create a new SAM project
- Create a case in SAM
- Describe the difference between a SAM performance model and financial model
- Assign values to inputs for a rooftop photovoltaic system in SAM
- Run a SAM simulation and interpret performance model results
- Create a SAM case for a residential rooftop photovoltaic system
- Assign values to cost and financial inputs in SAM
- Define a building electric load and electricity rate structure in SAM
- Run a SAM simulation and interpret financial model results
Required Materials
- Computer with Internet access
- System Advisor Model (SAM) – Download here: https://sam.nrel.gov/
Continuing Education Credits (CECs)
For more detailed information on MREA courses and Continuing Education Credits see our NABCEP Credentials and Continuing Education pages.