PVCPP

PVCPP is an open-source C++ framework for modeling, simulation, and optimization of photovoltaic power systems. It provides modular components to simulate solar cells, modules, arrays, and whole-system behavior under varying irradiance, temperature, and shading. The project emphasizes performance, portability, and interoperability with common data formats and tools.

The project began in the early 2010s as an open-source effort by researchers to provide a reusable toolkit for PV analysis. It has evolved through community releases, with major versions adding new cell models, MPPT simulations, and data interfaces. A Python binding layer broadens access and enables easier integration with other workflows.

PVCPP includes electrical models such as single-diode and double-diode cell models, temperature and irradiance dependencies, module and string configuration, and system-level simulations for grid-tied and off-grid setups. It supports MPPT emulation, shading analysis, weather data ingestion, calibration tools, and data exports in CSV and JSON, along with visualization adapters and API hooks for integration with other software.

The library is written in C++ with optional Python bindings, designed for cross-platform use on Windows, Linux, and macOS. It follows a modular, extensible architecture and supports parallelization to leverage multi-core hardware. PVCPP is released under the MIT license, with a public repository, issue tracker, and contributor guidelines.

PVCPP is used by universities, research labs, and PV developers for academic studies, system sizing, performance benchmarking, and teaching. The project maintains documentation, tutorials, and a growing set of example projects and data adapters to support practical workflows.