PLEXOS 6.205 Release Notes
Contents
- Upgrade Compatibility
- Changes
- Features
- User Interface
- New Inputs
- Moved Inputs
- Input Changes
- New Outputs
- Changed Outputs
1. Upgrade Compatibility
Your 6.20x (or 5.201) database will be upgraded automatically and should function just as before. There should be no manual upgrading required. Databases upgraded from 6.1x versions might require some post-upgrade changes as described in the Release Notes for 6.201.
2. Changes
The following algorithmic changes have been implemented in this version:
- The Convergent Monte Carlo method has been changed so that convergence of outages is performed individually for each Generator/Line rather than across each Region. This change means that setting the Generator/Line Random Number Seed property will guarantee that outage sequences are repeatable across simulations with different numbers of Generator/Line objects whereas previously the linking of 'expected outage' overall each Region meant that adding objects would result in different sequences of outages. This point does not apply to standard Monte Carlo for which results are always repeatable when seeds are set.
- Generator/Line Maintenance Frequency is now handled by the Standard Monte Carlo method. Previously the Convergent Monte Carlo method was invoked whenever this property was defined.
- In the case where Stochastic Risk Sample Count (or Reduced Sample Count is not equal to Outage Pattern Count the previous approach of randomly assigning outage patterns to samples is replaced by a simple ordered assignment. The above changes result in a difference in sequence of random draws for many models compared to 6.202 and earlier.
- When a text file is read into a simulation and the data in that file needs to be 'upscaled', e.g. the file contains hourly data but the simulation is running in 10-minute intervals, the method used for upscaling is controlled by the new Data File attribute Upscaling Method. Previously the upscaling method varied depending on the file format, but in this version the upscaling method default to "Interpolate" and you must deliberately set the method to "Step" if that is the appropriate approach e.g. for reading data into integer properties like Generator Commit or Units Out.
3. Features
3.1. Modelling Day-ahead, Real Time/Balancing Markets
A number of input properties have been added to aid in modelling day-ahead and real-time markets (and balancing markets). For example the Generator properties Pump Bid Base, Pump Bid Quantity, Pump Bid Price provide a means of linking day-ahead pumped storage solutions to real-time (balancing) simulation. An alternative here is Fixed Pump Load and Fixed Pump Load Penalty. These properties mirror the generation-side properties Offer Base, Offer Quantity and Offer Price and the alternative approach of using Fixed Load with Fixed Load Penalty.
3.2. Sample Reduction
Sample reduction takes the 'raw' generated samples (Stochastic Risk Sample Count) and reduces these to a small number (Stochastic Reduced Sample Count) for use in the simulation. This reduction is done statistically using a Scenario Tree approach. More information is available in the Variable topic. This feature is particularly useful for stochastic optimization where the number of samples included in the optimization can have a big impact on solution times.
3.3. Pump Load Bidding
The new input properties Generator Pump Bid Base, Pump Bid Quantity and Pump Bid Price define balancing market (real-time) bids for pumped storage generators' pump load. See the article Balancing Markets for more details.
3.4. Hydro Head Effects
New properties on the Generator Head Storage membership (Efficiency Point and Efficiency Scalar) allow for the modelling of the effect of head (storage level) on the efficiency of hydro generation. This convenient and powerful feature is described in the help and in the Hydro Modelling article. Please refer to this documentation for details.
3.5. Improved Support for Real-time Market Data
New attributes have been added to the Data File class that can help when reading data that has come from market systems:
- The Data File Locale attribute is used to set the LCID (culture information) for the file and applies when the file uses a DATETIME field. Setting this ensures that the date and times in the file will be read correctly regardless of the local machine's culture settings.
- The Data File Datetime Convention attribute controls how the time part of the DATETIME is interpreted. Real-time market data often uses the convention of labelling dispatch intervals according to the end time of the interval. For example the first half-hour of the day might be labelled 12:30 rather than the 'planning convention' of labelling this period 12:00. This attribute allows you to read data with "End of Period" convention as well as the default "Beginning of Period".
We have also added Report Datetime Convention attribute which controls the output of DATETIME fields in both text and database solutions. Thus you can output data with "End of Period" convention for times if that suits the market being studied.
3.6. LDC Type
LT Plan and MT Schedule now support LDC Type = "Year".
3.7. Pass-through Properties
Most classes of object new support "pass-through" properties with the generic names "x", "y", "z". These inputs are passed through to the solution and do not affect the simulation. They are useful for passing real market results through to the solution so they can be easily compared to simulated results inside the user interface. For example you may want to pass the actual market prices through as Region x so that this can be compared to Region Price in the solution. Note that the user interface does not yet support editing these property names, but they can be changed directly in the XML input file and the simulation engine will preserve those changed names in the solution.
3.8. Line and Interface Offers
The Line and Interface class now implement the full range of offer properties including balancing market offers using Offer Base.
4. User Interface
Improvements have been made to the dynamic property grid editing and pasting functions, and in the solution viewer the duration curves and logarithmic functions are improved.
5 New Inputs
The following table lists all the new input properties available in this release. Please refer to the help for detailed information.
| Collection | Property | Relates To |
|---|---|---|
| Generator | Fixed Pump Load | Day-ahead to real-time/balancing Markets |
| - | Fixed Pump Load Penalty | - |
| - | Pump Bid Base | - |
| - | Pump Bid Quantity | - |
| - | Pump Bid Price | - |
| - | Fixed Charge | Input of 'generic' fixed cost components with multiple bands |
| - | Commission Date | Automatic retirement of incumbent plant based on Technical Life in LT Plan |
| - | Include in Uplift | Switches a generator's costs in/out of uplift |
| Generator Head Storage | Efficiency Point | Hydro head effects |
| - | Efficiency Scalar | - |
| Generator Tail Storage | Flow Point | - |
| - | Efficiency Scalar | - |
| Storage | Recycle Penalty | Allows the endogenous recycle target constraints to be soft constraints. |
| Emission | Max Production Penalty | Allows for emission limits defined with Max Production Day/Week/Month/Year to be soft constraints. |
| Generators | Price Scalar | Enhancement to existing Shadow Price Scalar property |
| Reserve | Include in LT Plan | Switches the reserve class on/off in LT Plan |
| - | Include in MT Schedule | " in MT Schedule |
| - | Include in ST Schedule | " in ST Schedule |
| Generators | Max Response Factor | Alternative to existing Max Response property |
| - | Max Sync Cond Response Factor | Alternative to existing Max Sync Cond Response property |
| - | Max Pump Response Factor | Alternative to existing Max Pump Response property |
| - | Max Replacement Factor | Alternative to existing Max Replacement property |
| Line | Fixed Flow Penalty | Enhancement to existing Fixed Flow property |
| - | Offer Base | Day-ahead to real-time/balancing markets |
| - | Fixed Charge | As above for Generator |
| Interface | Units | To make Interface class consistent with other transmission classes that have a Units on/off switch |
| - | Fixed Flow | Day-ahead to real-time/balancing markets |
| - | Fixed Flow Penalty | - |
| - | Offer Base | - |
| - | Offer Quantity | - |
| - | Offer Price | - |
| - | Offer Quantity Back | - |
| - | Offer Price Back | - |
| Constraint Generators | Pumped units started coefficient | For use in modelling 'pay-back' of demand response schemes |
| Data File | Upscaling Method | Handling text data files of different resolutions to simulations |
| - | Downscaling Method | - |
| - | Datetime Convention | Support for use of DATETIME as end of period |
| - | Locale | Specifies the culture for the Data File which affects reading of DATETIME fields |
| Model | Execution Order | Controlling execution order of Models in a batch run |
| - | Load Custom Assemblies | Controls if the Model will load custom OpenPLEXOS assemblies. This switch allows user-developed OpenPLEXOS functions to be turned on/off by Model. |
| - | Interleaved | Indicates that two Models should be run in interleaved mode. |
| LT Plan | Maintenance Sculpting | Allows for control over when LT Plan sculpts maintenance derating of plant. |
| Report | Datetime Convention | Support for use of DATETIME as end of period |
| - | Locale | Specifies the culture for the text solution files which affects writing of DATETIME fields |
| - | Flat File Format | Controls the format of text solution files allowing the DATETIME field to be replaced with YEAR, MONTH, DAY. |
| Stochastic | Convergence Period Type | Convergent Monte Carlo |
| - | Reduced Sample Count | Sample reduction in multi-sample simulations using Variable objects |
| - | Reduction Relative Accuracy | - |
| - | Forced Outages in Look-ahead | Day-ahead to real-time/balancing markets |
| Performance | Small MIP Improve Start Gap | Performance of mixed-integer programming models |
| - | MIP Improve Start Gap | - |
6. Moved Inputs
N/A
7. Input Changes
Some properties are renamed as in the following table.
| Collection | Old Name | New Name |
|---|---|---|
| Constraint Generators | Spare Capacity Reserve Coefficient | Spinning Reserve Coefficient |
| - | Pump Interruptible Load Coefficient | Pump Dispatchable Load Coefficient |
| Stochastic | Monte Carlo Outage Patterns | Outage Pattern Count |
| - | Monte Carlo Weibull Shape | Weibull Shape |
| - | Monte Carlo Convergent Smoothing | Convergent Smoothing |
| - | Monte Carlo Outage Scope | Outage Scope |
| Generator | Dark Spread | Clean Spark Spread |
8. New Outputs
| Collection | Old Name | New Name |
|---|---|---|
| Generator | Ramp Up | The total megawatt of ramping up done |
| - | Minutes of Ramp Up | Complementary to Generator Ramp Up |
| - | Ramp Down | The total megawatt of ramping down done |
| - | Minutes of Ramp Down | Complementary to Generator Ramp Down |
| - | Pump Units Started | Goes with new input Constraint Generators Pump Units Started Coefficient |
| - | Fixed Pump Load | See above input Generator Fixed Pump Load |
| - | Fixed Pump Load Violation | - |
| - | Hours of Fixed Pump Load Violation | - |
| - | Fixed Pump Load Violation Cost | - |
| - | Pump Bid Base | See above input Generator Pump Bid Base |
| - | Pump Bid Quantity | - |
| - | Pump Bid Price | - |
| - | Pump Bid Cleared | - |
| - | Cleared Pump Bid Price | - |
| - | Cleared Pump Bid Cost | - |
| - | Pump Price Paid | - |
| - | Forced Outage Rate | Additional reporting of outages |
| - | Maintenance Rate | - |
| Emission | Max Production Violation | Reporting of emission constraint violations |
| - | Max Production Violation Cost | - |
| Reserve Generators | Spinning Reserve Provision | More explicit reporting of Reserve Provision |
| - | Sync Cond Reserve Provision | - |
| - | Pump Dispatchable Load Provision | - |
| - | Non-spinning Reserve Provision | - |
| Region | Min Load | Opposite of existing Peak Load |
| Region Regions | Available Transfer Capability Back | Directional version of existing ATC output |
| Zone | Min Load | As above |
| Zones | Available Transfer Capability Back | As above |
| Node | Min Load | As above |
| Line | Fixed Flow | Enhanced reporting of existing Line Fixed Flow solution |
| - | Fixed Flow Violation | - |
| - | Hours of Fixed Flow Violation | - |
| - | Fixed Flow Violation | - |
| - | Offer Base | See above input Line Offer Base |
| - | Cleared Offer Price | Enhanced reporting of Line offer solution |
| - | Cleared Offer Cost | - |
| - | Available Transfer Capability Back | As above |
| - | Forced Outage Rate | Additional reporting of outages |
| - | Maintenance Rate | - |
| Transformer | Available Transfer Capability Back | As above |
| Interface | Fixed Flow | See above input Interface Fixed Flow |
| - | Fixed Flow Violation | - |
| - | Hours of Fixed Flow Violation | - |
| - | Fixed Flow Violation Cost | - |
| - | Offer Base | See above input Interface Offer Base |
| - | Offer Quantity | - |
| - | Offer Price | - |
| - | Offer Quantity Back | - |
| - | Offer Price Back | - |
| - | Offer Cleared | - |
| - | Offer Cleared Back | - |
| - | Cleared Offer Price | - |
| - | Cleared Offer Cost | - |
| - | Available Transfer Capability Back | As above |
9. Changed Outputs
N/A