.. _python_getting_started:

############################
Getting Started
############################

This page explains how to get started with SunPeek as a Python package.


Installation
===============

This assumes that you have Python installed, in a version compatible with SunPeek. See the
`backend README <https://gitlab.com/sunpeek/sunpeek/>`_
for currently compatible Python versions (e.g. Python 3.13).
Then, install SunPeek:

.. code-block:: console

   pip install sunpeek

.. _demo_preconfigured:

Using SunPeek with pre-defined demo plant
==========================================

This is a simplified example, based on the FHW plant in Graz, Austria.
The data used here (together with a detailed description) is available as open data at https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.7741084

This example shows how to use SunPeek on this demo plant programmatically with Python, following 3 basic steps:

#. Create SunPeek plant object
#. Load measurement data
#. Perform Power Check analysis

.. literalinclude:: ../../../scripts/script_demo_preconfigured.py
   :language: python

.. _demo_custom:

Using SunPeek with custom plant
===============================

This example demonstrates how to use SunPeek for custom plants without a pre-existing configuration file.
It reuses the demo plant's data and structure for illustration purposes,
but the step-by-step approach shows how to build any plant from scratch.
It follows these main steps:

#. Define sensors with their units and metadata
#. Create the plant with location and sensor mappings
#. Configure the solar collector and heat transfer fluid
#. Create the array and add it to the plant
#. Load measurement data
#. Perform Power Check analysis and generate a report

.. literalinclude:: ../../../scripts/script_demo_custom.py
   :language: python

.. seealso::

   - :ref:`collectors` — Technical reference for solar collector types and parameters
   - :ref:`fluids` — Technical reference for heat transfer fluid configuration