Losses

Configure DC losses including module quality, mismatch, wiring losses, and thermal model parameters

The Losses page allows you to specify DC-side losses for the DC Field, including module quality factors, mismatch losses, wiring losses, and thermal model parameters. These inputs directly affect energy yield calculations by accounting for real-world inefficiencies in the DC system.

Overview

The DC Field - Losses page is organized into the following sections:

1. DC Field Header — Shows the DC Field identifier with Edit, Clone, and Remove buttons.
2. Tab Navigation — Access different aspects of DC Field configuration: Table, Field, Losses, and Objects.
3. DC Losses — Configure percentage-based losses for module quality, mismatch, degradation, wiring, and health factors, plus tracker power consumption.
4. Thermal Losses — Configure the module temperature model including heat balance parameters and temperature coefficients.
5. Bifacial Losses — Standard structure shading and backside mismatch inputs, or optional SunSolve-style parameters when SunSolve Bifacial Parameters Import is enabled (see rear irradiance).
6. Surface Temperature Time Series — Enable custom time series data for module surface temperature.
7. DC Field Visualization — Preview of the field layout for reference.

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User Inputs

#	Input	Type	Units	Description	Related Documentation
1	Block (Hierarchy)	Button	—	Toggle view to show the Block-level hierarchy bar displaying system summary: MWdc, MWac, DC:AC ratio, GCR, Array Count, and Inverter Count.	Block Overview
2	Table (Tab)	Tab	—	Navigate to the Table tab to configure module selection, mounting type, and table geometry.	Table
3	Field (Tab)	Tab	—	Navigate to the Field tab to configure string count, layout arrangement, terrain, and field-level settings.	Field
4	Losses (Tab)	Tab	—	Currently selected tab. Contains DC loss factors and thermal model configuration.	—
5	Objects (Tab)	Tab	—	Navigate to the Objects tab to configure near-field shading objects specific to this DC Field (legacy workflow).	Objects
6	Module Quality	Text Field	%	Percentage loss due to module manufacturing quality variation from nameplate rating. Positive values indicate underperformance relative to rated power.	DC Losses
7	Mismatch	Text Field	%	Percentage loss due to electrical mismatch between modules in a string or array. Accounts for variations in module I-V characteristics.	DC Losses
8	Light Induced Degradation	Text Field	%	Percentage loss from initial light-induced degradation (LID) that occurs in the first hours of module operation. Applies primarily to crystalline silicon modules.	DC Losses
9	DC Wiring at STC	Text Field	%	Percentage loss in DC wiring and connections at Standard Test Conditions (STC). Includes string wiring, combiner boxes, and DC home runs.	DC Losses
10	DC Health	Text Field	%	Percentage loss representing ongoing DC system degradation and health issues not captured by other loss categories. Can be used for aging adjustments.	DC Losses
11	Tracker Actuator Load	Text Field	MWh/MWp/Year	Annual energy consumption of tracker motors and actuators, expressed per MWp of DC capacity. Only applicable to tracker-mounted systems.	—
12	Module Temperature	Dropdown	—	Select the module temperature calculation method. Options: Heat Balance, Sandia, NOCT.	Module Temperature
13	Cell to Module Temp. Difference	Text Field	°C / °F	Temperature offset between the module backsheet (measured) and cell junction temperature. Accounts for thermal resistance within the module.	Module Temperature
14	Conductive Coefficient	Text Field	Uc	Conductive heat transfer coefficient (Uc) for the heat balance model. Represents constant heat loss independent of wind speed.	Module Temperature
15	Convective Coefficient	Text Field	Uv	Convective heat transfer coefficient (Uv) for the heat balance model. Represents wind-dependent heat loss; multiplied by wind speed in the thermal calculation.	Module Temperature
16	Enable Time Series Data	Checkbox	—	When enabled, allows import of custom module surface temperature time series data instead of using the calculated thermal model.	—
17	SunSolve Bifacial Parameters Import	Toggle	—	When ON, PlantPredict uses the SunSolve-style inputs below and applies the rear-irradiance adjustment documented for SunSolve import on Rear (bifacial) plane-of-array irradiance (for example, combined front + back mismatch overrides the Mismatch value in General DC Losses, and transmission-related handling follows the in-app tooltips). When OFF, use Structure Shading and Backside Mismatch in this section.	Rear (bifacial) plane-of-array irradiance
18	Structure Shading	Text Field	%	Rear-side loss from structure shading. Shown when SunSolve Bifacial Parameters Import is OFF.	Rear (bifacial) plane-of-array irradiance
19	Backside Mismatch	Text Field	%	Mismatch on the back side. Shown when SunSolve Bifacial Parameters Import is OFF.	Rear (bifacial) plane-of-array irradiance
20	SunSolve Structure Shading	Text Field	%	Shown when SunSolve Bifacial Parameters Import is ON (0–100%).	Rear (bifacial) plane-of-array irradiance
21	SunSolve Combined Front + Back Mismatch	Text Field	%	Shown when SunSolve Bifacial Parameters Import is ON (0–100%). Overrides the Mismatch value under General DC Losses while import is on.	Rear (bifacial) plane-of-array irradiance
22	SunSolve Transmission Gain	Text Field	%	Shown when SunSolve Bifacial Parameters Import is ON (0–100%). System-level gain applied in the rear-irradiance model; use the in-app info tooltip to avoid double-counting with module-level transmission settings.	Rear (bifacial) plane-of-array irradiance
23	Advanced 3D Design	Button	—	Opens the advanced 3D design interface for detailed field layout customization, including individual row placement and terrain modeling.	3D Shading

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Saving Changes

Click Save Power Plant in the top-right corner to save all DC Field configuration changes and return to the Block Overview. Click the X button to cancel and discard changes.