Shape Column
The Shape column contains shape factors which control the degree of hourly shaping Aurora attempts to do with the hydro energy available for a hydro set.
NOTE: This column can also be named "Shaping Factor".
With a factor of 1, the logic will attempt to shape hydro energy to produce a flat residual load for its targeted demand set. A factor of 0 will run hydro units flat and have no effect on residual load variation. A factor of .5 (point five) will attempt to reduce the variation in hourly demand versus average demand by 50%. Of course the degree of shaping possible is subject to project energy limitations and the other constraints defined in this table. Shape factors can be greater than 1 which may be appropriate if hydro generation is targeted to meet loads outside the hydro project area.
NOTE: Even with a factor of zero (0) specified, a very small amount of shaping will occur. This is done to help smooth the change in generation when moving across days and months.
A weekly vector can be used to force a specific hourly generation pattern for a hydro project. If a shape factor resolves to a weekly vector (value beginning with “wk_”), either directly through this table or through an annual or monthly vector, it must represent a pointer to a record in the Time Series Weekly table. The weekly vector should contain 168 hours of shape data for the hydro set. These factors should range between 0 and 1. If a weekly vector is used, the hourly factors are multiplied directly with the hydro unit capacity to produce an hourly energy capability and will override all other energy and shaping constraints specified for the hydro set. The weekly vector can easily change through time using Aurora’s annual and monthly time series structure.
Shaping logic for hydro energy resources and storage resources can be bypassed by using a weekly vector as a time series input. Storage shaping and hydro energy shaping can be forced by manual input when an input pointer resolves to a weekly vector, for either the
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Hourly Shaping Factor column for resources of storage type in the Resources table or
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Shape column for resources of hydro energy type in the Hydro Vectors table,
The hourly value from the weekly vector is multiplicatively applied to unit capacity. (Positive values are associated with generation and negative values are associated with storage. However, negative values do not apply to hydro resources, only storage resources.) The single weekly pattern is applied for the entire month.
NOTE: When a specific hourly generation pattern is used for a hydro project, Aurora’s internal risk cannot be applied to that pattern.
NOTE: For information on how to specify a time series for a variable, see Entering a Time Series.
Shape Column
