Version 2
Existing proposal
Battery-only base case retained for review.
Project comparisons
Change the option without losing the calculation you started from.
A version is a saved branch of the project. Keep the current result, create another version and change only the assumptions you want to test.
Version 3
Alternative proposal
Solar-assisted option with changed assumptions.
Calculate or create a version
Not every edit deserves a new branch.
Update the current version
Use this for corrections, missing inputs and ordinary refinement before the option is treated as a distinct proposal.
Create a new version
Use this for alternative designs, scenario changes and any branch you may need to show or revisit later.
Name the purpose
A comparison is easier to understand when each version name explains the decision it represents.
Useful comparison questions
Change one decision or change the whole direction.
A comparison is easier to understand when the purpose of each version is clear. Name the version after the decision it represents.
Battery chemistry
Compare lithium, lead-acid or another enabled chemistry while keeping the same load profile.
Battery-only or solar
Keep the backup requirement constant and test whether solar changes the installed storage or recharge plan.
Essential or full load
Create a reduced-load version rather than repeatedly removing and restoring appliances in one calculation.
Different operating hours
Compare normal use with a restricted outage schedule or a different day and night split.
System voltage
Test how a different battery or inverter voltage changes current, arrangement and installation-related outputs.
Panel choice
Compare panel wattage, count and string implications without changing the original solar proposal.
Conservative assumptions
Keep one version with cautious losses and sunshine inputs, then test a less conservative case separately.
AC or mixed AC/DC
Check whether moving suitable loads to DC changes inverter demand and distribution requirements.
A practical method
Keep a base case and branch from it.
1
Build the base case
Use realistic appliance data and operating hours. Calculate it, review the warnings and give the version a useful name.
2
Clone before changing direction
Create a new version from the working base when the next option shares most of the same appliance and scenario information.
3
Change the intended variable
Alter the battery, solar, runtime or scenario assumption you are trying to compare. Avoid changing five unrelated things unless that is the comparison.
4
Calculate both versions
A saved branch without results is only an input set. Calculate it before trying to compare the outputs.
5
Read the warnings again
A lower battery count is not automatically a better result. Check what changed elsewhere and whether new limits appeared.
6
Export the chosen version
Use the report from the version you intend to discuss or retain. The version name should make sense outside the editor.
A usable project history
Versions are not only for side-by-side shopping.
They also preserve the path of a project. That can matter when a client asks why one proposal changed, when a property owner wants to return to a simpler option, or when a team needs to review the assumptions behind a saved report.
Keep the version that answers the old question.
Create another one when the question changes. The project stays organised and the earlier calculation remains available.