Create An AC Battery + Inverter Scenario
Use this scenario when you want to test the battery and inverter on their own, without relying on solar during the period you are modelling.
When this is the right scenario
This is a good starting point when you want to answer the simpler question first. Can the battery and inverter carry the selected loads at all. It is useful for AC outage planning, overnight battery support, and baseline comparisons before you add solar in a later version.
It is also often the cleanest baseline version in a project. Once it makes sense, you can branch from it and compare what changes when solar joins the picture.
How to create it
Start on the scenario page after the version appliance list has been created. If you are new to the app, the easiest route is the guided one. Choose AC - Battery + Inverter, let the page create the load groups, enter the worst-case usage hours, and then use Continue to Scenario Settings. GridGap will show that the scenario is ready before opening the starting settings.
If you already know what you want to enter yourself, use Start with blank scenario settings instead. Choose AC - Battery + Inverter in the blank scenario modal to open the same scenario without guided starting defaults.
This scenario keeps the focus on battery capacity, inverter sizing, charging, and the AC appliance demand the system is expected to carry. The solar-specific section is not part of this workflow. If the version contains DC appliances too, use a mixed AC/DC scenario instead.
What to focus on first
Start with the main battery and inverter relationship. Check the battery size, capacity mode, battery voltage, chemistry, depth of discharge, and the inverter or system voltage first.
Then review the fields that shape the practical result, such as inverter efficiency and grid charge hours. If the battery is expected to recharge later from utility supply or shore power, the available charge window still matters because it affects the charging result.
How the mode choice affects this scenario
In Simple mode, the page stays guided and easier to read. In Technical mode, more detailed battery and inverter controls become visible. Those extra controls are useful when you know why the default assumptions are not enough for the case you are modelling.
If this is your first serious pass through the version, start simple unless you already have a clear reason to do otherwise. The guided route is especially useful here because it gives you a seeded starting point before you begin adjusting the battery inputs yourself.
Keep the load selection honest
An AC battery scenario becomes unrealistic quickly if the load list is too broad or the hours are too generous for heavy appliances. Focus on the loads the battery-backed inverter is actually expected to support.
That often means essentials rather than everything. If you later want a comfort-oriented version with more loads, preserve the first one and compare the difference.
What to review after calculating
After you calculate, start with the Overview tab, then move into Battery, Inverter, Charging, and Warnings. Those sections will tell you whether the battery requirement, inverter recommendation, charge burden, and reserve margin still make practical sense for the assumptions you entered.
If the result already feels uncomfortable at this stage, that is useful information. It gives you a cleaner comparison when you later test a solar-assisted version.