Glossary

B

• Base Network: The Base Network is the default scenario for any Convexity model. It stores the master version of your model, which is used as the starting point for all other scenarios.
• Bus: Buses represent electrical nodes in the power system where generation, consumption, and transmission elements connect. They serve as the fundamental connection points in Convexity's network model, defining locations where power balance constraints are enforced.

C

• Capacity Expansion Planning: Capacity Expansion Planning is a technique that is used to plan the capacity of the system over time. It is used to ensure that the system is able to meet the demand for energy over time.
• Capacity Factor: The capacity factor is a parameter that is used to calculate the capacity factor of the system. It is used to ensure that the system is able to meet the demand for energy over time.
• Currency: The currency is a parameter that is used to set the currency of the model. It is used to ensure that the model is using the correct currency for the data.

D

• Discount Rate: The discount rate is a parameter that is used to discount the cost of capital back to the present day. It is used to calculate the present value of future costs and benefits.

G

• Generator: Generators represent power generation units in the energy system, including conventional thermal plants, renewable generators, and dispatchable assets. They inject power into buses and can be optimized for both operational dispatch and capacity expansion planning.

L

• Line: Lines represent AC transmission lines that connect two buses with physical impedance parameters. They model the passive flow of electrical power according to network physics.
• Link: Links represent controllable power transfer connections between two buses. Unlike lines (passive AC flow), links allow explicit control over power flow direction and magnitude, and can model carrier conversions.
• Load: Loads represent electrical demand that withdraws power from the network. They define where and when energy consumption occurs in the system.

M

• Map Tab: The Map Tab is accessible via the central panel of Convexity. It provides a way to interact with your network data spatially as opposed to tabular via the Tables Tab.

S

• Storage Unit: Storage units represent energy storage technologies that can both charge (store energy) and discharge (generate power). They model batteries, pumped hydro storage, and other technologies with power capacity limits and state of charge tracking.
• Store: Stores represent energy storage systems where energy capacity (MWh) is the primary design constraint, rather than power capacity (MW). They model thermal storage tanks, gas storage facilities, and other large-scale energy storage where power transfer rates are not limiting.

T

• Tables Tab: The Tables Tab is accessible via the central panel of Convexity. It provides a way to interact with your network data in tabular format as opposed to spatially via the Map Tab.
• Timeseries: Timeseries are data that is collected over time. In Convexity, timeseries are used to store data that changes over time, such as renewable capacity factors, demand, or generation output.
• Timezone Offset: The timezone offset is a parameter that is used to offset the timezone of the model from UTC. It is used to ensure that the model is using the correct timezone for the data.

U

• Unmet Load: Unmet Load components are special last resort generators with very high penalty costs. They allow the optimization to solve even when demand cannot be fully met, providing diagnostic information about system capacity shortfalls.