OpenDSS compile unknown parameter error: VV_RefReactivePower parameter for InvControl Module

[gayukrishna]

Versions

• Python version: 3.7
• Operating system: Linux
• OpenDSSDirect.py version number: v0.7.0

Bug

OpenDSSdirect.py (v0.7.0) doesn't recognize the VV_RefReactivePower parameter in the inverter control module

To reproduce: Complie any opendss master script with InvControl module using VV_RefReactivePower in versions defined above

[PMeira]

That option was marked deprecated years ago in OpenDSS v9.0 when the model for InvControl was fully replaced:

https://sourceforge.net/p/electricdss/code/HEAD/tree/trunk/Version8/Source/Controls/InvControl.pas#l691

We removed some of the deprecated features in our latest release.

We could readd the deprecated parameters just include notes such as "Use RefReactivePower instead" the error message, but the point of deprecation is to eventually remove. I noticed a lot of users didn't even realize the models for InvControl, PVSystem, Storage, StorageControl were replaced yet.

Also note that all example circuits from EPRI replaced VV_RefReactivePower with RefReactivePower when the parameter was deprecated.

[PMeira]

I added a mechanism for providing better messages for removed items, in this case it would result in:

DSSException: (#2020030) InvControl.testic.VV_RefReactivePower: "VV_RefReactivePower" was deprecated in 2020. Use "RefReactivePower" instead.

This will be included in the next version coming in a week or two. I'll leave this ticket open to see if we'll get any feedback.

To illustrate why removing is better than keeping things indefinitely, see for example this: https://sourceforge.net/p/electricdss/discussion/861976/thread/658e9da071/ -- the user was hopelessly changing %idlingkvar for the current Storage model and expecting changes in behavior. This happens quite a lot, especially since PVSystem and Storage models are used in popular research topics.

But this issue also highlights that we need a warning system so we can warn users before removing old parameters, besides other script issues. For that, I opened dss-extensions/dss-extensions#16 for general feedback.

[PMeira]

Another link from EPRI recommending to replace VV_RefReactivePower: https://sourceforge.net/p/electricdss/discussion/experts/thread/6f17e5f375/?limit=25#2ed8

[PMeira]

Another one that was removed -- kvarlimit in PVSystem: https://sourceforge.net/p/electricdss/discussion/861976/thread/4a6aa2199f/

This one was already removed in the official version, so users will need to update their scripts anyway. By the way, the error message reported there is from DSS Extensions -- we added the traceback such as [file: "PVSystems.dss", line: 255]

[PMeira]

For reference, here's the doc for the "new" models:

https://sourceforge.net/p/electricdss/code/HEAD/tree/trunk/Version8/Distrib/Doc/PVSystem_InvControl.pdf?format=raw

There seems to be some confusion regarding these.

EDIT: for Storage and StorageControl:

• https://sourceforge.net/p/electricdss/code/HEAD/tree/trunk/Version8/Distrib/Doc/Storage.pdf
• https://sourceforge.net/p/electricdss/code/HEAD/tree/trunk/Version8/Distrib/Doc/StorageController.pdf

[PMeira]

New info posted on the forum: https://sourceforge.net/p/electricdss/discussion/861977/thread/25a9f092bf/?limit=25#e929

The deprecated parameter PVSystemList had a bug, both here and in the official version.

[PMeira]

Another user report that is at least in part due to the deprecated/broken parameter PVSystemList:

https://sourceforge.net/p/electricdss/discussion/beginners/thread/c83871ebb9/