Create Your Appliance List

Before a scenario can make sense, the version needs a sensible appliance list. This is where you define what the appliances are. You are not yet deciding how long they run in a specific scenario.

Why the appliance list comes first

On the scenario page, the appliance list sits in the Master appliance list area. It belongs to the version you are working on. The idea is simple: define the appliances once, then use or ignore them in each scenario below.

That means the appliance list is not the same thing as scenario usage. The list describes the appliance itself. Scenario usage describes how that appliance behaves in one modeled setup.

What you enter here

This is the stage where you define the basic appliance data that GridGap will reuse later. Depending on the item and the mode you are working in, that usually includes things such as the appliance name, rated watts, quantity, duty cycle, surge multiplier, and power factor profile.

If the common appliance list helps, use it. If the appliance you need is not there, choose the custom route and enter your own name. The app is not asking you to force an exact match from the preset list if it is not the right fit.

How to build a useful list

Start with the loads that actually matter to the backup or solar plan. Fridges, freezers, lights, routers, pumps, computers, chargers, and similar essentials usually matter more than trying to list every possible small load on the first pass.

Keep the list realistic. If an appliance is only a possible later addition, leave it out for now and add it in a later version if needed. A smaller honest list is more useful than a broad list full of guesses.

Keep running load and surge separate

One of the easiest mistakes at this stage is confusing normal running power with startup surge behaviour. Running watts describe the normal demand. Surge behaviour only matters during startup or brief high-demand moments.

Do not use a startup surge number as though it were the normal running load. If you do that, later battery and inverter recommendations can become distorted for the wrong reason.

What happens after the list is saved

Once the version appliance list is in place, you move lower down the page into scenario-specific usage. That is where you decide which appliances are included in the scenario and how many hours they are used.

This separation is one of the most useful parts of the app. It lets one version keep a stable appliance list while still allowing the scenario in that version to be adjusted and recalculated as you work.