How To Create Your First Project
Your first project should focus on one real use case. That might be a house during outages, an RV setup, a boat that charges from shore power when available, or a small workshop that needs limited backup support.
1. Create the project
Start on the Projects page and create a project with a clear name. The name should tell you what the job is without needing extra explanation later. Good examples are things like My Home, Workshop Backup, RV Weekend Setup, or Boat Shore Power Plan.
The project is the top-level container. It holds the saved versions for that job, the scenarios inside each version, the appliance list for each version, the stored results, and any later exports tied to that work.
2. Open the project
Once the project exists, use the eye icon on the Projects page to open it. That takes you to the project detail view for that specific project.
This page is where you can review the project's versions. It is also the place from which you move into the scenario editor or the results page for a chosen version.
3. Understand the first version
When a new project is created, GridGap also creates the first version for you automatically. That means you do not start from an empty project structure. You already have Version #1 ready to work with.
The version name may be very general to begin with. If you want, you can rename it later to something more useful, such as AC backup, DC distribution, or Mixed AC/DC solar. A clear version name becomes more important once you start comparing different setups in the same project.
4. Open the scenario page
On the version list, open the scenario editor for the version you want to work on. The first time you do this for a new version, the page will guide you into creating a scenario because the version does not yet have one.
The scenario editor is where you build the version's appliance list, create the scenario, set the relevant AC, DC, battery, charging, solar, and installation inputs, and then calculate the result.
5. Build the master appliance list
Near the top of the scenario editor you will see the appliance tools area. This is the master appliance list for the current version. Build it once before you worry about per-scenario usage hours.
Add the appliances you want this version to consider. You can pick from the stored appliance list where that helps, or choose Other and enter your own appliance name if the exact item is not listed.
At this stage you are defining the appliance itself. That includes things like Rated watts, Quantity, Duty cycle, Surge multiplier, and Power Factor Profile. You are not yet deciding how many hours it is used in a specific scenario. That comes later lower down the page.
6. Create the first scenario
Once the appliance list is in place, create the scenario that matches the system you want to model. Choose between AC, DC, and mixed AC/DC scenario types, with or without solar.
You can also choose between Simple and Technical mode. Simple mode keeps the workflow more guided. Technical mode reveals more advanced controls and assumptions. If you are new to the app, start in Simple mode unless you already know why you need the deeper controls.
New users will usually use the guided route. Choose the scenario type, let GridGap create the load groups, enter the worst-case usage hours, and use Continue to Scenario Settings. If you already know what you want to enter yourself, use Start with blank scenario settings and choose the scenario type in the blank scenario modal.
7. Set usage for the scenario
After the scenario exists, the appliance list appears again lower on the page in a scenario-specific form. This is where you tell GridGap how the saved appliances are used in this scenario.
Here you work with fields such as Hours used and Include in scenario. The master appliance list describes what the appliance is. The scenario usage section describes how that appliance behaves in this scenario.
That split lets one version keep a structured appliance list while still allowing scenario-specific behaviour later.
8. Calculate and review results
When the scenario settings and usage data are ready, click Calculate. GridGap first saves pending scenario settings, solar inputs where relevant, installation inputs where relevant, and usage changes. It then generates or refreshes the results for the version you are currently editing.
If you like the current version and want to create a variant without changing the existing saved result, use Create New Version instead. That creates a new version from the version you are currently editing and keeps the earlier saved version intact.
After calculation, GridGap opens the results page for that project version. Review the outputs, warnings, and result tabs there. If the version needs changes, return to the scenario editor, adjust the inputs, and calculate again.