---
id: pvlib
version: "0.15.2"
license: BSD-3-Clause
license_treatment: permissive
maintenance: active
---

# pvlib — A set of functions and classes for simulating the performance of photovoltaic energy systems.

License: permissive · Maintenance: active · Downloads: 1.6M/mo

## What it is and what it does

pvlib is a community-developed toolbox for simulating photovoltaic energy system performance. It provides open, reliable, and interoperable implementations of PV system models built on numpy, pandas, scipy, and related scientific Python libraries. The package originated as a Python translation of MATLAB_PV_LIB from Sandia National Laboratories in 2013 and has grown to include contributions from over a hundred individuals worldwide.

The package is used for modeling solar energy systems, accessing solar irradiance data, and performing PV-related calculations and analysis. It depends on numpy for numerical computation, pandas for data handling, scipy for scientific functions, h5py for HDF5 file access, requests for data retrieval, and pytz for timezone handling. It is actively maintained by a core group of PV modelers and is a NumFOCUS Affiliated Project.

Use it for:

- Simulate expected energy output from a proposed photovoltaic installation before deployment
- Access and process solar irradiance data from public sources for site analysis
- Model the performance of existing PV systems to identify degradation or operational issues
- Develop and test new PV modeling algorithms in a standardized, peer-reviewed framework
- Integrate PV performance predictions into energy management or grid planning tools

## Worth the install?

AI-flagged interpretation of the facts above — verify before relying.

Simulates photovoltaic energy system performance and provides functions and classes for modeling solar energy systems and related PV calculations.

Yes. The package is actively maintained, has low installation friction, carries a permissive BSD-3-Clause license, and has no known security vulnerabilities. It is well-suited for anyone working with photovoltaic system modeling, simulation, or solar energy analysis.

## Install

pip install pvlib
uv add pvlib
poetry add pvlib

## Installing pvlib

Before you install: Low friction installation with six well-established runtime dependencies. Active maintenance with a recent release 59 days ago and continuous repository activity.

License in practice: BSD-3-Clause permissive license allows commercial and private use with minimal restrictions; suitable for both open-source and proprietary projects.

Quickstart:

pip install pvlib
import pvlib
# Access PV modeling functions and classes for system simulation

Requires Python 3.10 or later

Verify before relying:

- Whether the package supports real-time system monitoring or only historical/simulation-based analysis
- Specific PV system types or configurations the package can model
- Performance benchmarks or accuracy validation against real-world systems

## Package facts

- License: BSD-3-Clause (permissive)
- Python support: supports_current
- Install friction: low
- Maintenance: active
- Downloads: 1.6M/month (top 5,000 on PyPI)
- Known vulnerabilities: none known

## Tags

photovoltaic system modeling, solar energy simulation, PV performance prediction, solar irradiance data, photovoltaic calculations, solar system analysis, PV energy modeling, solar-energy, photovoltaic-modeling, scientific-computing

[View on SkillFed](https://skillfed.io/packages/pvlib) · [View on PyPI](https://pypi.org/project/pvlib/)