Installing and Running the PHANTASM BIPV System Simulation Program


This CD includes an installation program for PHANTASM (PHotovoltaic ANalysis and TrAnsient Simulation Method).  Before installing PHANTASM, make sure that you have at least 25 meg free on the C: partition of your hard drive.  We don't recommend installing on another drive.  Launch BIPV.EXE from the CD.  A new folder called BIPV will be created on the C: drive. 

The BIPV directory contains all the files you need to run PHATNASM.  To get started, first launch TRNSED.EXE, located in the top level of the BIPV directory.  A blank gray screen should appear.  Select "Open" from the "File" pull-down menu and choose BIPV.TRD.  After a few seconds the TRNSED input screen will come up.

The default simulation for PHANTASM models several fixed PV arrays on a building in Milwaukee.  To run the simulation, select "Calculate" from the TRNSYS pull-down menu.  The CD includes historical weather data for Milwaukee as well as rate schedules for Wisconsin Electric, the area utility.  In addition, historical electric load data for several Milwaukee commercial buildings were employed in recent Solar Energy Laboratory BIPV research.  These data sets are proprietary, however, and are not included in distributed copies of PHANTASM.

On-screen help is available for all numerical input fields and pull-down menus on the PHANTASM input screen.  To call help, select the field or menu and press F1.  You may also bring up a copy of the PHANTASM User's Manual (in PDF format) by clicking on the green button labeled "User's Manual" near the top of the input screen.

If you have any questions, please contact Bryan Fry at the UW Solar Energy Laboratory.

	bryan@sel.me.wisc.edu
	(608) 263-1588

Good luck!

NOTE:  This CD contains two files in addition to the PHANTASM installer.  The first file is a summary of recent BIPV research at the UW Solar Energy Laboratory.  It is a Word document called Research.doc.  A hardcopy is included in this package.  The second file is simply an electronic copy of this sheet, saved as Readme.doc (also a Word document).