What this is A reference guide to all default assumptions used by SolarQuant when calculating project metrics.
Who this is for - Developers who want to understand what values are used when they don't provide inputs - Investors who want to know what's behind the numbers - Anyone comparing outputs across different projects
What you can do - See the default values for each assumption - Understand when defaults are used vs user inputs - Know which assumptions most impact results
Default assumptions by category
Generation & Performance - Degradation rate : 0.5% per year (industry standard for tier-1 panels) - Performance ratio : 80-85% depending on system type - Availability : 98% (accounts for maintenance downtime)
Financial - Discount rate : Country-specific risk-adjusted rates - Inflation : Country-specific CPI forecasts - Tax rates : Based on jurisdiction corporate tax rules
Costs - O&M escalation : Tied to local inflation - Insurance : 0.25% of CAPEX annually - Inverter replacement : Year 12-15 depending on technology
Rules and limits - User-provided inputs always override defaults - Some defaults vary by country/region - Defaults are updated periodically based on market data
Common mistakes - Assuming your project uses different values than displayed - Not checking which fields have user inputs vs defaults - Comparing projects with different assumption sets
Related links - How SolarQuant Calculates Outputs - Inputs Guide
--- Important : All outputs are indicative and depend on assumptions and user inputs. This does not replace professional due diligence.