Projects, Versions, And Scenarios
GridGap stores work in layers. If you understand those layers early, the rest of the app makes more sense. This is especially important when you start recalculating, comparing saved options, and deciding whether to overwrite or branch into a new version.
The project layer
The project is the top-level container. It groups the versions for one planning job. If you are planning one property, one vehicle, or one distinct backup job, that usually belongs inside one project.
Think of the project as the folder for that job. It is the place where your version history lives. It is also the anchor point for related scenario work, results, and later exports.
The version layer
A version is a saved option inside the project. Versions are the main comparison layer in GridGap. One version might represent a base battery-only approach. Another might represent a solar + battery + inverter option. Another might test a different set of recharge assumptions while keeping the same load idea.
This is why version names matter once there is more than one. If you leave every version with a vague name, later comparison becomes harder than it needs to be.
Older versions do not become untouchable just because they are older. If you reopen an earlier version and calculate that version again, you are updating that exact version in place. Other versions are not changed.
The scenario layer
A scenario is the actual modeled setup inside a version. In practical terms, the scenario is where the battery, inverter, charging, solar, and usage setup comes together.
Each version has one scenario. That scenario might be a battery and inverter setup, or it might be a solar, battery, and inverter setup. New users can now reach that scenario through a guided setup path that builds load groups first and prepares seeded starting inputs later, or they can skip straight to blank scenario settings if they prefer direct control.
This is why versions are the main comparison layer. They are where you preserve different options over time. The scenario is the modeled setup carried by that version.
How you move between them
The Projects page leads you into a project. The project detail page shows the versions in that project. From each version, you can move into the scenario editor to work on that version's inputs, or into results to review what the current saved calculation produced for that version.
That distinction is worth remembering. The scenario editor is where you build and change. The results page is where you inspect the saved outcome for the selected version and scenario.
Why Calculate behaves the way it does
Once you understand the project-version-scenario structure, the version actions become easier to understand.
Calculate updates the version you are currently editing. It replaces the stored results for that version only.
Create New Version preserves the current version and opens a new one for further work. The new version is not calculated automatically. You branch first, then calculate when the new version is ready.
The simple rule is this: if you are still working on the same option, use Calculate. If the current option is worth keeping and you want to branch into a comparison, use Create New Version.
The practical way to think about it
Keep the mental model simple. The project is the job. The version is the saved option you want to compare. The scenario is the modeled setup carried by that version.
If you keep those three layers separate in your mind, the rest of the workflow becomes easier to follow, especially when you move into appliance inputs, scenario creation, and calculation decisions.