Energy Simulation in Non-Hourly Resolution
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### Introduction
Artelys Crystal Super Grid can run simulations with non-hourly time resolutions.
In energy modeling, the granularity of simulation time steps can significantly influence the accuracy and applicability
of the results. While traditional simulations often use an hourly resolution, this guide will provide you with the
knowledge to conduct simulations with **both higher and lower time resolutions**, such as 15-minute intervals for more
detailed analysis or 2-hour intervals for a broader overview.
By following this documentation, you will learn how to set up and execute energy simulations with custom time resolutions
tailored to your specific needs. It is important to note, however, that non-hourly resolution simulations come with
certain **limitations**, which will be explained at the end of this page (assets modeling, performance, and so on).
### How to Create a Non-Hourly Resolution Context from the Interface
To create a non-hourly resolution context directly from the interface, click on the **Create context** button in the Home View.
This operation enables the creation of a new empty energy system on your server. The following parameters need to be
filled out by the user to perform the operation:
- **Study**: Select the name of the study in which you want to create your energy system.
- **Context type**: Select the context type of your new context. The context type depends on the study you select.
- If you want to simulate the energy system, choose _SIMULATION_ or _PATHWAY_SIMULATION_.
- If you want to do capacity expansion planning for your energy system, choose _OPTIM_CAPA_ or _PATHWAY_OPTIM_.
- **Context name**: Choose the name of your energy system. This name should be _unique_ within the chosen study.
- **Timestep count**: Choose the number of timesteps you want to represent for your energy system.
- **Timestep duration**: Choose the duration in minutes of each timestep.
- **Start date**: Choose the start date of the energy system you want to model.
To perform a non-hourly resolution, you will need to change the default **Timestep duration** value from 60 minutes to
120 for a 2-hour resolution or 15 for a 15-minute resolution. If you want a yearly simulation of your energy system,
you need to update the **Timestep count** accordingly (i.e., 8760 for a 60-minute resolution, 4380 for a 2-hour resolution,
and 35040 for a 15-minute resolution).
### How to Create a Non-Hourly Resolution Context from a Zip Import
The structure of import files is the same as that of a context with a 60-minute resolution. For more details about it,
see the [Energy System Modelling](../basics/energy_system_modelling.md).
Specificities concern:
- The CONTEXT.csv file
- The timeseries CSV files
#### CONTEXT.csv File for a Non-Hourly Resolution Context
The CONTEXT.csv file needs to be updated as follows to create a non-hourly resolution context. The differences from a
classic hourly resolution context are in the **TIMESTEP_COUNT** and **TIMESTEP_DURATION** columns (cf above).
#### Timeseries CSV for a Non-Hourly Resolution Context
All timeseries CSV files inside the _Context_data > timeseries folder_ need to be updated as follows. The header is
the same as for a 60-minute resolution context. The difference is in the first column as:
- The values of the timestep (first column) need to be consistent with the TIMESTEP_DURATION value of the CONTEXT.csv file.
- The number of rows needs to be consistent with the TIMESTEP_COUNT.
In this example, a 2-hour resolution context is created. The timeseries file contains 4381 rows, and the increment
between each timestep equals 2 hours. In this example, there is only one test case (called Test case 0). However, it
is possible to have more test cases as explained in the section [Energy System Modelling](../basics/energy_system_modelling.md)
for a non-hourly resolution context.
### Limitations of the Non-Hourly Resolution in ACSG
#### Temporal KPI Visualization
When using different time resolutions in your energy simulations, one of the key challenges you may encounter is the
visualization of temporal Key Performance Indicators (KPIs). Temporal KPIs (for the list of temporal KPIs, see
[Temporal KPIs](../../kpis/temporal_kpis/index.rst)) can be visualized for a non-hourly resolution context. However,
if you want to visualize in the same study results from two contexts with different time resolutions, you may encounter some issues.
Recommendations
To maintain consistency and clarity in your temporal KPIs, it is advised to focus on a single time resolution for all
the energy systems you are modeling. This approach ensures that the KPI visualization will be consistent across all
your energy systems, facilitating easier comparison and interpretation of results.
#### Performance
When the time resolution is more detailed, such as 15-minute intervals, the amount of data generated increases significantly.
This higher data volume can strain computational resources, leading to decreased performance in terms of processing speed
and memory usage. Detailed time resolutions require more computational power and storage, which can slow down the simulation
process and increase the time required for data analysis and visualization.
Recommendations
When using a more detailed time resolution, you can mitigate the impact on computational resources by decreasing the
number of modeled assets. Additionally, a more detailed time resolution can be particularly useful for modeling small
energy systems, where capturing fine-grained variations in energy usage and performance is crucial. By focusing on smaller
systems, you can leverage the benefits of detailed time resolutions while managing data volume and processing demands effectively.
#### Assets Modeling
The modeling of assets requires careful attention to detail, particularly regarding the units used for asset attributes.
Misunderstandings or misconfigurations in units can lead to inaccurate simulations, infeasible optimizations, and misleading results.
Hydro Fleet Modeling
The attribute BOUNDED_SUPPLY of the Hydro fleet is in megawatts (MW) and not megawatt-hours (MWh).
