add SingleAxisTracker.get_aoi, refactor SingleAxisTracker.get_irradiance, fix ModelChain with SAT

docs/sphinx/source/whatsnew/v0.4.6.rst

@@ -12,15 +12,21 @@ Bug fixes
   (:issue:`330`)
 * Fix the `__repr__` method of `ModelChain`, crashing when
   `orientation_strategy` is set to `'None'` (:issue:`352`)
+* Fix the `ModelChain`'s angle of incidence calculation for
+  SingleAxisTracker objects (:issue:`351`)
 
 
 Enhancements
 ~~~~~~~~~~~~
 * Added default values to docstrings of all functions (:issue:`336`)
 
+
 API Changes
 ~~~~~~~~~~~
 * Removed parameter w from _calc_d (:issue:`344`)
+* SingleAxisTracker.get_aoi and SingleAxisTracker.get_irradiance
+  now require surface_zenith and surface_azimuth (:issue:`351`)
+
 
 Documentation
 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~

pvlib/modelchain.py

@@ -757,9 +757,6 @@ def prepare_inputs(self, times=None, irradiance=None, weather=None):
         self.airmass = self.location.get_airmass(
             solar_position=self.solar_position, model=self.airmass_model)
 
-        self.aoi = self.system.get_aoi(self.solar_position['apparent_zenith'],
-                                       self.solar_position['azimuth'])
-
         if not any([x in ['ghi', 'dni', 'dhi'] for x in self.weather.columns]):
             self.weather[['ghi', 'dni', 'dhi']] = self.location.get_clearsky(
                 self.solar_position.index, self.clearsky_model,
@@ -773,7 +770,8 @@ def prepare_inputs(self, times=None, irradiance=None, weather=None):
                 "Detected data: {0}".format(list(self.weather.columns)))
 
         # PVSystem.get_irradiance and SingleAxisTracker.get_irradiance
-        # have different method signatures, so use partial to handle
+        # and PVSystem.get_aoi and SingleAxisTracker.get_aoi
+        # have different method signatures. Use partial to handle
         # the differences.
         if isinstance(self.system, SingleAxisTracker):
             self.tracking = self.system.singleaxis(
@@ -785,13 +783,17 @@ def prepare_inputs(self, times=None, irradiance=None, weather=None):
             self.tracking['surface_azimuth'] = (
                 self.tracking['surface_azimuth']
                     .fillna(self.system.axis_azimuth))
+            self.aoi = self.tracking['aoi']
             get_irradiance = partial(
                 self.system.get_irradiance,
-                surface_tilt=self.tracking['surface_tilt'],
-                surface_azimuth=self.tracking['surface_azimuth'],
-                solar_zenith=self.solar_position['apparent_zenith'],
-                solar_azimuth=self.solar_position['azimuth'])
+                self.tracking['surface_tilt'],
+                self.tracking['surface_azimuth'],
+                self.solar_position['apparent_zenith'],
+                self.solar_position['azimuth'])
         else:
+            self.aoi = self.system.get_aoi(
+                self.solar_position['apparent_zenith'],
+                self.solar_position['azimuth'])
             get_irradiance = partial(
                 self.system.get_irradiance,
                 self.solar_position['apparent_zenith'],

pvlib/test/test_modelchain.py

@@ -168,7 +168,7 @@ def test_run_model_tracker(system, location):
     times = pd.date_range('20160101 1200-0700', periods=2, freq='6H')
     ac = mc.run_model(times).ac
 
-    expected = pd.Series(np.array([  122.333764454,  -2.00000000e-02]),
+    expected = pd.Series(np.array([119.067713606,  nan]),
                          index=times)
     assert_series_equal(ac, expected, check_less_precise=2)
 

pvlib/test/test_tracking.py

@@ -6,9 +6,9 @@
 
 import pytest
 from pandas.util.testing import assert_frame_equal
+from numpy.testing import assert_allclose
 
 from pvlib.location import Location
-from pvlib import solarposition
 from pvlib import tracking
 
 
@@ -246,6 +246,21 @@ def test_SingleAxisTracker_localize_location():
     assert localized_system.longitude == -111
 
 
+# see test_irradiance for more thorough testing
+def test_get_aoi():
+    system = tracking.SingleAxisTracker(max_angle=90, axis_tilt=30,
+                                        axis_azimuth=180, gcr=2.0/7.0,
+                                        backtrack=True)
+    surface_tilt = np.array([30, 0])
+    surface_azimuth = np.array([90, 270])
+    solar_zenith = np.array([70, 10])
+    solar_azimuth = np.array([100, 180])
+    out = system.get_aoi(surface_tilt, surface_azimuth,
+                         solar_zenith, solar_azimuth)
+    expected = np.array([40.632115, 10.])
+    assert_allclose(out, expected, atol=0.000001)
+
+
 def test_get_irradiance():
     system = tracking.SingleAxisTracker(max_angle=90, axis_tilt=30,
                                         axis_azimuth=180, gcr=2.0/7.0,
@@ -260,19 +275,17 @@ def test_get_irradiance():
     solar_azimuth = solar_position['azimuth']
     tracker_data = system.singleaxis(solar_zenith, solar_azimuth)
 
-    irradiance = system.get_irradiance(irrads['dni'],
+    irradiance = system.get_irradiance(tracker_data['surface_tilt'],
+                                       tracker_data['surface_azimuth'],
+                                       solar_zenith,
+                                       solar_azimuth,
+                                       irrads['dni'],
                                        irrads['ghi'],
-                                       irrads['dhi'],
-                                       solar_zenith=solar_zenith,
-                                       solar_azimuth=solar_azimuth,
-                                       surface_tilt=tracker_data['surface_tilt'],
-                                       surface_azimuth=tracker_data['surface_azimuth'])
+                                       irrads['dhi'])
 
     expected = pd.DataFrame(data=np.array(
-        [[ 961.80070,   815.94490,   145.85580,   135.32820,
-          10.52757492],
-       [          nan,           nan,           nan,           nan,
-                  nan]]),
+        [[961.80070,   815.94490,   145.85580,   135.32820, 10.52757492],
+         [nan, nan, nan, nan, nan]]),
                             columns=['poa_global', 'poa_direct',
                                      'poa_diffuse', 'poa_sky_diffuse',
                                      'poa_ground_diffuse'],
@@ -284,7 +297,7 @@ def test_get_irradiance():
 def test_SingleAxisTracker___repr__():
     system = tracking.SingleAxisTracker(max_angle=45, gcr=.25,
                                         module='blah', inverter='blarg')
-    expected = 'SingleAxisTracker: \n  axis_tilt: 0\n  axis_azimuth: 0\n  max_angle: 45\n  backtrack: True\n  gcr: 0.25\n  name: None\n  surface_tilt: 0\n  surface_azimuth: 180\n  module: blah\n  inverter: blarg\n  albedo: 0.25\n  racking_model: open_rack_cell_glassback'
+    expected = 'SingleAxisTracker: \n  axis_tilt: 0\n  axis_azimuth: 0\n  max_angle: 45\n  backtrack: True\n  gcr: 0.25\n  name: None\n  surface_tilt: None\n  surface_azimuth: None\n  module: blah\n  inverter: blarg\n  albedo: 0.25\n  racking_model: open_rack_cell_glassback'
     assert system.__repr__() == expected
 
 
@@ -295,7 +308,6 @@ def test_LocalizedSingleAxisTracker___repr__():
                                                            inverter='blarg',
                                                            gcr=0.25)
 
-    expected = 'LocalizedSingleAxisTracker: \n  axis_tilt: 0\n  axis_azimuth: 0\n  max_angle: 90\n  backtrack: True\n  gcr: 0.25\n  name: None\n  surface_tilt: 0\n  surface_azimuth: 180\n  module: blah\n  inverter: blarg\n  albedo: 0.25\n  racking_model: open_rack_cell_glassback\n  latitude: 32\n  longitude: -111\n  altitude: 0\n  tz: UTC'
+    expected = 'LocalizedSingleAxisTracker: \n  axis_tilt: 0\n  axis_azimuth: 0\n  max_angle: 90\n  backtrack: True\n  gcr: 0.25\n  name: None\n  surface_tilt: None\n  surface_azimuth: None\n  module: blah\n  inverter: blarg\n  albedo: 0.25\n  racking_model: open_rack_cell_glassback\n  latitude: 32\n  longitude: -111\n  altitude: 0\n  tz: UTC'
 
     assert localized_system.__repr__() == expected
-

pvlib/tracking.py

@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@
 
 class SingleAxisTracker(PVSystem):
     """
-    Inherits all of the PV modeling methods from PVSystem.
+    Inherits the PV modeling methods from :ref:PVSystem:.
 
     axis_tilt : float, default 0
         The tilt of the axis of rotation (i.e, the y-axis defined by
@@ -54,6 +54,9 @@ def __init__(self, axis_tilt=0, axis_azimuth=0,
         self.backtrack = backtrack
         self.gcr = gcr
 
+        kwargs['surface_tilt'] = None
+        kwargs['surface_azimuth'] = None
+
         super(SingleAxisTracker, self).__init__(**kwargs)
 
     def __repr__(self):
@@ -98,20 +101,60 @@ def localize(self, location=None, latitude=None, longitude=None,
 
         return LocalizedSingleAxisTracker(pvsystem=self, location=location)
 
-    def get_irradiance(self, dni, ghi, dhi,
+    def get_aoi(self, surface_tilt, surface_azimuth, solar_zenith,
+                solar_azimuth):
+        """Get the angle of incidence on the system.
+
+        For a given set of solar zenith and azimuth angles, the
+        surface tilt and azimuth parameters are typically determined
+        by :py:method:`~SingleAxisTracker.singleaxis`. The
+        :py:method:`~SingleAxisTracker.singleaxis` method also returns
+        the angle of incidence, so this method is only needed
+        if using a different tracking algorithm.
+
+        Parameters
+        ----------
+        surface_tilt : numeric
+            Panel tilt from horizontal.
+        surface_azimuth : numeric
+            Panel azimuth from north
+        solar_zenith : float or Series.
+            Solar zenith angle.
+        solar_azimuth : float or Series.
+            Solar azimuth angle.
+
+        Returns
+        -------
+        aoi : Series
+            The angle of incidence in degrees from normal.
+        """
+
+        aoi = irradiance.aoi(surface_tilt, surface_azimuth,
+                             solar_zenith, solar_azimuth)
+        return aoi
+
+    def get_irradiance(self, surface_tilt, surface_azimuth,
+                       solar_zenith, solar_azimuth, dni, ghi, dhi,
                        dni_extra=None, airmass=None, model='haydavies',
                        **kwargs):
         """
         Uses the :func:`irradiance.total_irrad` function to calculate
         the plane of array irradiance components on a tilted surface
-        defined by ``self.surface_tilt``, ``self.surface_azimuth``, and
-        ``self.albedo``.
+        defined by the input data and ``self.albedo``.
+
+        For a given set of solar zenith and azimuth angles, the
+        surface tilt and azimuth parameters are typically determined
+        by :py:method:`~SingleAxisTracker.singleaxis`.
 
         Parameters
         ----------
-        solar_zenith : float or Series.
+        surface_tilt : numeric
+            Panel tilt from horizontal.
+        surface_azimuth : numeric
+            Panel azimuth from north
+        solar_zenith : numeric
             Solar zenith angle.
-        solar_azimuth : float or Series.
+        solar_azimuth : numeric
             Solar azimuth angle.
         dni : float or Series
             Direct Normal Irradiance
@@ -135,23 +178,9 @@ def get_irradiance(self, dni, ghi, dhi,
             Column names are: ``total, beam, sky, ground``.
         """
 
-        surface_tilt = kwargs.pop('surface_tilt', self.surface_tilt)
-        surface_azimuth = kwargs.pop('surface_azimuth', self.surface_azimuth)
-
-        try:
-            solar_zenith = kwargs['solar_zenith']
-        except KeyError:
-            solar_zenith = self.solar_zenith
-
-        try:
-            solar_azimuth = kwargs['solar_azimuth']
-        except KeyError:
-            solar_azimuth = self.solar_azimuth
-
         # not needed for all models, but this is easier
         if dni_extra is None:
             dni_extra = irradiance.extraradiation(solar_zenith.index)
-            dni_extra = pd.Series(dni_extra, index=solar_zenith.index)
 
         if airmass is None:
             airmass = atmosphere.relativeairmass(solar_zenith)