These options extend the standard parameters described in Running a Forecast. They allow for more precise modelling of specific asset configurations, contracts, and site constraints.
Upload templates
Several of the options below take a CSV upload. Each template below shows the required column names and an example of the expected values. Download the relevant template, replace the example values with the site’s own data, and upload the file in the forecast builder.
| Upload | Template | Required columns |
|---|---|---|
| Custom solar or wind profile | generation_profile_template.csv | Timestamp (UTC), Power (MW) |
| Custom degradation curve | degradation_template.csv | cycles, remainingCapacity, efficiency |
| Grid curtailment profile | grid_curtailment_template.csv | Timestamp, export_limit, import_limit |
| Custom grid charges | grid_charges_template.csv | charge_name, charge_subtype, year, month, day_type, start_time, end_time, import_charge_local_ccy_per_mwh, export_charge_local_ccy_per_mwh, fixed_charge_local_ccy_per_day |
| Custom power prices | power_prices_template.csv | datetime_utc, plus one column per price series, each named with its units |
| Custom MLF forecast (NEM) | mlf_forecast_template.csv | financial_year, solar_export_mlf, battery_export_mlf, battery_import_mlf |
Timestamps: All timestamps must be in UTC. Intervals must be consistent throughout the file, at 15, 30, or 60 minutes.
Example values: The example rows show the expected format only. They are not a minimum data requirement, and they are not representative of any real site.
Coverage: Generation, curtailment, and price files are matched to the simulation period by timestamp. A custom power prices file must contain at least one year of data, and the forecast runs from the chosen start date to the last date in the file.
German curtailment profiles: For German sites with a renewables-linked Flexible Connection Agreement, generate the file with the Custom Curtailment CSVs tool rather than filling in the generic template. The tool builds the profile from the reference plant coordinates in the agreement.
Degradation
Custom degradation curve: Replace the default Modo curve with your own, as a table of remaining capacity (%) against cumulative cycle count. Useful for reflecting specific warranty terms or cell chemistry.
For methodology and interactive charts, see Battery Degradation.
Revenue contracts
By default, the model assumes a battery or solar asset sells all output at the wholesale market price (merchant). Contracts let you replace or supplement that assumption. Available types include CfDs, fixed and floor PPAs, fixed payments (FiTs, FiPs), certificates (REGOs, ROCs, GOOs), and tax credits (e.g. US PTC). Multiple contracts can be applied to the same asset. See Revenue Contracts for full detail.
Grid connection
Import limit (MW): The maximum power the site can draw from the grid. Defaults to the battery power capacity if not set separately.
Export limit (MW): The maximum power the site can export to the grid. Defaults to the battery power capacity if not set separately.
Grid curtailment profile: A half-hourly profile defining time-varying import and export limits, for sites with constrained connection agreements. Available in GB.
Solar (co-located sites)
Solar capacity (MWp): The nameplate DC capacity of the solar array.
Custom solar profile: Upload your own generation data instead of the modelled profile. See Custom Generation Profile for the required file format.
Coupling type: Whether the solar and battery share a DC bus (DC-coupled) or connect separately at the AC side (AC-coupled). On DC-coupled sites, clipped generation can flow directly into the battery. See Co-location.
Solar export strategy: Controls how unclipped solar generation is handled relative to the battery.
- Always export: All solar generation is exported immediately. The battery operates independently.
- Export when prices are positive: Solar is curtailed during negative price periods. The battery still operates independently.
- Optimise with battery: Solar and battery are treated as a single system. The model can route solar into the battery to time-shift generation to higher-value periods.
See Solar Export Strategies for a comparison.
Solar degradation: Applies a year-on-year reduction in solar output. The default rate is 0.5% per year.
Wind (standalone, co-located, and tri-located sites)
Wind capacity (MW): The nameplate rating of the wind site.
Custom wind profile: A full year of the site’s actual generation. This is required for every wind site - there is no modelled fallback profile, because wind output is more site-specific than solar. See Custom Generation Profile for the required file format, and Wind for how it is used.
Wind is dispatched in always export mode and can be run alongside a co-located solar site, or tri-located with solar and a battery.
Grid charges
Custom grid charges: Upload a CSV defining time-varying import and export charges - such as DUoS or TNUoS - to include them in the dispatch optimisation. Charges vary by time of day, day of week, and season. Fixed daily charges can also be provided and are included in revenue outputs. See Grid Charges for the required data format.