Networks

Networks are how the platform separates different “flows” in a scenario so that demands, generation, and storage are modelled in the correct place. The most common networks are Electricity and Heat.

A network affects where data appears in the UI and how it is treated in the model:

• Demands are created per network. When adding a demand profile you first choose which network it belongs to (e.g. Electrical Demand vs Heat Demand). Multiple active profiles in the same network are added together.
• Value maps are network-specific. This helps prevent mixing datasets that look similar but represent different things (for example electrical load vs heat load). It also keeps the statistics and validation views meaningful for the type of data you are uploading.
• Modules interact with one or more networks. Some technologies operate purely on one network (e.g. electrical generation meeting electrical demand), while others naturally cross over. For example, CHP links electricity and heat, and electrically-driven heat technologies (like heat pumps and resistive heaters) use electricity to satisfy heat demand.
• Reporting and analysis follow the network structure. When you review outputs (including Detail View), the series you can select and the way they are grouped depends on which network the underlying demand or installation output belongs to.

Using networks correctly is mainly about keeping inputs and outputs consistent: upload the right datasets to the right network and check that installations are serving the intended demand type.