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SOLAR v1.0 (May 2024)

The SOLAR blackbox optimization benchmarking framework.

Compilation

In the following, $SOLAR_HOME denotes the directory where SOLAR has been downloaded. Go to the $SOLAR_HOME/src directory and type make. It will generate the binary executable solar located in $SOLAR_HOME/bin.

For Windows users, it is possible to directly use a binary executable.

Validation

Your SOLAR installation must be validated. For this, type ./bin/solar -check. This will execute several tests during 10 to 20 minutes.

If the validation fails, please send an email to [email protected] with the full output.

Execution

Type ./bin/solar and you will be guided with the following help:

Run SOLAR (basic)   : solar pb_id x.txt (add -v for verbose mode)
Run SOLAR (advanced): solar pb_id x.txt -seed=S -fid=F -rep=R -v
     S: Random seed: integer >=0 or "diff"; Default=0
     F: Fidelity: real in [0;1]; Default=1.0 (truth)
     R: Replications: integer >= 1 or real in ]0;1[ ; Default=1

Validation: solar -check (can take several minutes)
Help(1)   : solar -h
Help(2)   : solar -h pb_id
Info      : solar -i

To run a simulation, type $SOLAR_HOME/bin/solar pb_id x.txt -seed=S -fid=F -rep=R -v (optional).

The different options are:

 pb_id: Problem ID (see list of problems below)

 x.txt: Input vector: Point at which the simulator is evaluated
        Values separated with spaces
        It is possible to specify several vectors: Use one line for each

    -v: Verbose option

     S: Random seed:
          Some SOLAR instances are stochastic. This parameter impacts the value of stochastic outputs
          The seed is a natural integer
          If SOLAR is run twice at the same point with the same seed, it will give the same outputs
          The default value is 0
          Use -seed=diff to let SOLAR use a different random seed each time
          The random number generator can be validated by running 'solar -check'

     F: Fidelity of the simulator
          Real value in [0;1]
          Default: 1.0, which corresponds to the "true blackbox", or the "truth"
          Any value in ]0;1[ corresponds to a "static surrogate" of the truth
          With -fid=0.0, only the a priori constraints and analytical objectives are computed
          The execution time increases with the fidelity
          A good default static surrogate is -fid=0.5

     R: Replications
          Integer >= 1 or real in ]0;1[, default=1
          If R is integer, it is the number of times that the simulator is run at the same point
          If R is real, it corresponds to a probability that the outputs are stabilized after a variable number of replications
          Each replication uses a different random seed dependent on the -seed option
          The mean value of stochastic outputs is displayed
          It is not possible to use R>1 with deterministic instances

Help for a problem: solar pb_id or solar -h pb_id

The list of instances is:

 #  pb_id                  obj.(f)                       #of obj.(p)  #of var.(n) #of constr.(m)
 1  MAXNRG_H1              total solar energy on the receiver     1            9              5
 2  MINSURF_H1             total heliostats field surface         1           14             13 
 3  MINCOST_C1             total investment cost                  1           20             13
 4  MINCOST_C2             total investment cost                  1           29             16
 5  MAXCOMP_HTF1           compliance to a demand profile         1           20             12
 6  MINCOST_TS             cost of storage                        1            5              6
 7  MAXEFF_RE              receiver efficiency                    1            7              6
 8  MAXHF_MINCOST          heliostat field performance and cost   2           13              9
 9  MAXNRG_MINPAR          power and losses                       2           29             17
10  MINCOST_UNCONSTRAINED  cost of storage + penalties            1            5              0

List of best know values for single-objective instances (one replication, full fidelity, default seed of zero):

	SOLAR1.1 	-902,503.692418
	SOLAR2.1 	841,839.671915
	SOLAR3.1 	70,813,885.0684
	SOLAR4.1 	108,197,236.146
	SOLAR5.1 	-28.8817193932
	SOLAR6.1 	43,954,935.1836
	SOLAR7.1 	-4,972.88689831
	SOLAR10.1	42.416671

The .1 notation highlights that these values are valid for the versions 1.X of SOLAR.

SOLAR10.1 best solutions found by Jeff Larson and GOOMBAH in the IBCDFO package, and Tom Ragonneau with COBYQA.

Example

The command $SOLAR_HOME/bin/solar 1 ./tests/1_MAXNRG_H1/x0.txt should display

-122505.5978 -10881140.57 -1512631.39776 -134 -4.5 0

which corresponds to the feasible point (8, 8, 150, 7, 7, 250, 45, 0.5, 5) of value -122,505.5978.

Other points and NOMAD parameters files can be found in the ./tests directory.

It is also possible to modify the main() function in ./src/main.cpp to call SOLAR from a code. A minimal example is provided.

How to cite

@techreport{solar_paper,
  Author      = {N. Andr\'{e}s-Thi\'{o} and C. Audet and M. Diago and A.E. Gheribi and S. {Le~Digabel} and X. Lebeuf and M. {Lemyre~Garneau} and C. Tribes},
  Title       = {{{\tt solar}: A solar thermal power plant simulator for blackbox optimization benchmarking}},
  Institution = {Les cahiers du GERAD},
  Number      = {G-2024-37},
  Year        = {2024},
  Url         = {http://www.optimization-online.org/XXX},
  ArxivUrl    = {http://arxiv.org/abs/2406.00140}
}