System Advisor Model

​The System Advisor Model (SAM) software has been a key success and core facility of the DOE EERE suite of capabilities for the last ten years, and has grown into a first-class and one-of-a-kind software for solar energy technology systems incorporating best-in-class models for detailed performance and economic analysis. To continue to achieve high impact for all of its stakeholders, multiple avenues of R&D, model improvement, user support, and software maintenance are required in parallel. This project seeks to keep SAM at the forefront of the solar modeling space by:

1. implementing more accurate models for the latest solar technologies and ensuring a high level of confidence in model results through detailed validation studies,
2. developing open platforms that allow private companies, researchers, and academics to build custom, proprietary, and high value-add features, sub-models, and methods on top of the standard SAM PV and battery models,
3. providing stakeholder outreach via direct technical support, documentation,webinars, and direct engagement with the international community of PV modeling experts, and
4. making available the latest and most accurate datasets developed at NREL for system components, solar resource, incentive information, utility tariffs, in addition to bug fixes and software upgrades, through ongoing public releases of the SAM software.