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Timeslice definitions

Each KiNESYS instance is built with a timeslice definition chosen for the question, the time available to solve, and the size of the model (regions × technologies). The catalog runs from 12 slices — screening runs and large region sets — to 72 slices, used when the question needs the shape of the day and the instance can still solve.

Every TIMES result is an average over a time slice, so the definition decides what the results can show. Load shapes, renewable profiles, and storage all aggregate to the same slices; they do not choose a definition of their own.

See also

How hourly demand is aggregated into these slices: Electricity Load Shapes. How renewable cluster profiles are aggregated: Renewable Energy Characterization. Power-sector overview: Power sector.

The catalog

A definition is a season cut (how the year is divided) crossed with a day-block cut (how the 24-hour day is divided). Nothing else varies. Two definitions that share one cut differ only in the other, so a difference in results is attributable to that one change.

Definition Season cut Day-block cut Slices
ts_12 4 — calendar quarters 3 — 8h / 10h / 6h 12
ts_24 6 — bimonthly 4 — uniform 6h 24
ts_36 6 — bimonthly 6 — uniform 4h 36
ts_48 6 — bimonthly 8 — 1h to 6h 48
ts_48h 4 — calendar quarters 12 — 1h to 6h 48
ts_72 6 — bimonthly 12 — 1h to 6h 72

KiNESYS timeslice catalog

Three relationships follow from that table:

  • ts_12 and ts_48h use identical seasons (Dec–Feb, Mar–May, Jun–Aug, Sep–Nov), so they differ only in the shape of the day.
  • ts_48h and ts_72 use an identical day, so they differ only in the seasons.
  • ts_24 and ts_72 share the same six seasons, so they too differ only in the day.

ts_48 and ts_48h are the same size — 48 slices, the same solve cost — but spend it differently: ts_48 on seasons, ts_48h on the day.

Hour ranges are inclusive at both ends. A slice labeled 08–17 contains hours 08 through 17; the next slice begins at 18. A one-hour slice is written with both ends the same (06–06).

Choosing a definition

The three axes interact: a 70-region global model at 72 slices is a different object from a 10-region national model at 72 slices. In practice the choice is:

Question. What must the results be able to show?

  • Screening, fuel mix, long-run investment: coarse day-blocks are enough.
  • Seasonal storage, hydro, heating/cooling: more seasons help (6 rather than 4).
  • Solar–evening, day-cycling storage, ramps: the day must be split on the morning and evening shoulders (the 12-block day in ts_48h / ts_72).

Time. Slice count is the first-order driver of solve time. Moving from 12 to 48 or 72 is the difference between a case that turns around in a meeting and one that runs overnight — and that gap widens as the region set grows.

Model size. Regions and technologies multiply the slice count. Large instances stay on ts_12 or ts_24; smaller or more focused instances can spend the budget on ts_48h or ts_72.

You need… Prefer Because
Fast screening; large region set ts_12 Cheapest. The midday block is 10 hours; a day-cycling store has only three blocks.
General purpose; seasons matter more than ramps ts_24 Six bimonthly seasons, uniform 6-hour day. A balanced default.
Finer day, still uniform blocks ts_36 Same six seasons as ts_24, 4-hour blocks. No 1-hour ramp slices.
Seasonal questions with some ramp resolution ts_48 Six seasons; eight irregular day-blocks. Same LP size as ts_48h, spent on the year.
Solar–evening, day-cycling storage, ramps ts_48h Same 48 slices as ts_48, but 12 day-blocks sitting on the ramps. Four seasons only.
Both seasons and the day, instance still tractable ts_72 ts_48h's day crossed with ts_24's seasons.

Typical fit

Treat the table as a starting point. Comparing ts_12 with ts_48h on the same instance isolates the day; comparing ts_48h with ts_72 isolates the seasons; comparing ts_48 with ts_48h holds solve cost fixed and asks where the 48 slices were better spent.

What a slice is, and is not

Note

Every slice is a mean over many days. The smallest slice in ts_48h, 06–06 in winter, is the average of 90 winter mornings. There is no cold snap in it, no still windless week, no cloudy fortnight — and the annual peak hour appears in no slice anywhere. Capacity is therefore sized against slice averages plus whatever reserve-margin constraint is imposed, not against a load-duration curve.

Within-block shape disappears. A generation profile is flattened to its block mean. Under ts_12, midday solar output and the 17:00 shoulder sit in one 10-hour block (08–17) and are represented by a single number, so the midday surplus and the evening deficit are both smaller than they are in reality. Under ts_48h that same window is six blocks, three of them one hour wide.

Storage moves energy between slices, so the block count is its opportunity set. A day-cycling store under ts_12 has three blocks to work with; under ts_48h it has twelve, and the finest of them sit exactly on the morning and evening ramps. A seasonal store sees 4 or 6 seasons depending on the definition. Comparing storage deployment across definitions therefore compares two different opportunity sets, not two different economics.

Slice weights are unequal — by a factor of six in ts_48h. Its blocks range from 1 hour to 6, so its slices run from 1.03% to 6.30% of the year. Nothing can be summed or averaged across slices without weighting (G_YRFR).

Aggregate regions span time zones. Multi-country aggregates mix several local days into one regional day. The resulting day shape is flatter than any member's — an artefact of aggregation, not of the slice definition. Worth confirming against the load-shape source before reading an aggregate region's intraday result closely.

The definitions

Each grid is one model year: 12 months across, 24 clock hours down. A cell is one (month, hour) pair; cells of the same colour are one season, and the gaps mark the day-block boundaries. Months run December first so that every season reads as one contiguous band.

In ts_48, ts_48h and ts_72 the overnight block wraps midnight, so it appears as a band at the top of the grid and another at the bottom — one block, drawn twice. Hour ranges on the grids follow the same inclusive convention as the tables: 08–17 is hours 08 through 17.

Hover any cell for its slice and weight.

Open the grids in a new tab.

Full slice tables

Every slice in every definition, with its months, its clock hours, and its share of the year. Each definition tiles 8760 hours exactly.

ts_12

4 seasons × 3 day-blocks. Slice weight 6.16–10.50% of the year.

season months days block clock_hours hours share_of_year
S1 Dec, Jan, Feb 90 d H1 00–07 8 h 8.22%
S1 Dec, Jan, Feb 90 d H2 08–17 10 h 10.27%
S1 Dec, Jan, Feb 90 d H3 18–23 6 h 6.16%
S2 Mar, Apr, May 92 d H1 00–07 8 h 8.40%
S2 Mar, Apr, May 92 d H2 08–17 10 h 10.50%
S2 Mar, Apr, May 92 d H3 18–23 6 h 6.30%
S3 Jun, Jul, Aug 92 d H1 00–07 8 h 8.40%
S3 Jun, Jul, Aug 92 d H2 08–17 10 h 10.50%
S3 Jun, Jul, Aug 92 d H3 18–23 6 h 6.30%
S4 Sep, Oct, Nov 91 d H1 00–07 8 h 8.31%
S4 Sep, Oct, Nov 91 d H2 08–17 10 h 10.39%
S4 Sep, Oct, Nov 91 d H3 18–23 6 h 6.23%

ts_24

6 seasons × 4 uniform 6 h blocks. Slice weight 4.04–4.25% of the year.

season months days block clock_hours hours share_of_year
S1 Dec, Jan 62 d H1 00–05 6 h 4.25%
S1 Dec, Jan 62 d H2 06–11 6 h 4.25%
S1 Dec, Jan 62 d H3 12–17 6 h 4.25%
S1 Dec, Jan 62 d H4 18–23 6 h 4.25%
S2 Feb, Mar 59 d H1 00–05 6 h 4.04%
S2 Feb, Mar 59 d H2 06–11 6 h 4.04%
S2 Feb, Mar 59 d H3 12–17 6 h 4.04%
S2 Feb, Mar 59 d H4 18–23 6 h 4.04%
S3 Apr, May 61 d H1 00–05 6 h 4.18%
S3 Apr, May 61 d H2 06–11 6 h 4.18%
S3 Apr, May 61 d H3 12–17 6 h 4.18%
S3 Apr, May 61 d H4 18–23 6 h 4.18%
S4 Jun, Jul 61 d H1 00–05 6 h 4.18%
S4 Jun, Jul 61 d H2 06–11 6 h 4.18%
S4 Jun, Jul 61 d H3 12–17 6 h 4.18%
S4 Jun, Jul 61 d H4 18–23 6 h 4.18%
S5 Aug, Sep 61 d H1 00–05 6 h 4.18%
S5 Aug, Sep 61 d H2 06–11 6 h 4.18%
S5 Aug, Sep 61 d H3 12–17 6 h 4.18%
S5 Aug, Sep 61 d H4 18–23 6 h 4.18%
S6 Oct, Nov 61 d H1 00–05 6 h 4.18%
S6 Oct, Nov 61 d H2 06–11 6 h 4.18%
S6 Oct, Nov 61 d H3 12–17 6 h 4.18%
S6 Oct, Nov 61 d H4 18–23 6 h 4.18%

ts_36

6 seasons × 6 uniform 4 h blocks. Slice weight 2.69–2.83% of the year.

season months days block clock_hours hours share_of_year
S1 Dec, Jan 62 d H1 00–03 4 h 2.83%
S1 Dec, Jan 62 d H2 04–07 4 h 2.83%
S1 Dec, Jan 62 d H3 08–11 4 h 2.83%
S1 Dec, Jan 62 d H4 12–15 4 h 2.83%
S1 Dec, Jan 62 d H5 16–19 4 h 2.83%
S1 Dec, Jan 62 d H6 20–23 4 h 2.83%
S2 Feb, Mar 59 d H1 00–03 4 h 2.69%
S2 Feb, Mar 59 d H2 04–07 4 h 2.69%
S2 Feb, Mar 59 d H3 08–11 4 h 2.69%
S2 Feb, Mar 59 d H4 12–15 4 h 2.69%
S2 Feb, Mar 59 d H5 16–19 4 h 2.69%
S2 Feb, Mar 59 d H6 20–23 4 h 2.69%
S3 Apr, May 61 d H1 00–03 4 h 2.79%
S3 Apr, May 61 d H2 04–07 4 h 2.79%
S3 Apr, May 61 d H3 08–11 4 h 2.79%
S3 Apr, May 61 d H4 12–15 4 h 2.79%
S3 Apr, May 61 d H5 16–19 4 h 2.79%
S3 Apr, May 61 d H6 20–23 4 h 2.79%
S4 Jun, Jul 61 d H1 00–03 4 h 2.79%
S4 Jun, Jul 61 d H2 04–07 4 h 2.79%
S4 Jun, Jul 61 d H3 08–11 4 h 2.79%
S4 Jun, Jul 61 d H4 12–15 4 h 2.79%
S4 Jun, Jul 61 d H5 16–19 4 h 2.79%
S4 Jun, Jul 61 d H6 20–23 4 h 2.79%
S5 Aug, Sep 61 d H1 00–03 4 h 2.79%
S5 Aug, Sep 61 d H2 04–07 4 h 2.79%
S5 Aug, Sep 61 d H3 08–11 4 h 2.79%
S5 Aug, Sep 61 d H4 12–15 4 h 2.79%
S5 Aug, Sep 61 d H5 16–19 4 h 2.79%
S5 Aug, Sep 61 d H6 20–23 4 h 2.79%
S6 Oct, Nov 61 d H1 00–03 4 h 2.79%
S6 Oct, Nov 61 d H2 04–07 4 h 2.79%
S6 Oct, Nov 61 d H3 08–11 4 h 2.79%
S6 Oct, Nov 61 d H4 12–15 4 h 2.79%
S6 Oct, Nov 61 d H5 16–19 4 h 2.79%
S6 Oct, Nov 61 d H6 20–23 4 h 2.79%

ts_48

6 seasons × 8 day-blocks (1–6 h). Slice weight 0.67–4.25% of the year.

season months days block clock_hours hours share_of_year
S1 Dec, Jan 62 d H1 00–05 6 h 4.25%
S1 Dec, Jan 62 d H2 06–07 2 h 1.42%
S1 Dec, Jan 62 d H3 08–11 4 h 2.83%
S1 Dec, Jan 62 d H4 12–15 4 h 2.83%
S1 Dec, Jan 62 d H5 16–17 2 h 1.42%
S1 Dec, Jan 62 d H6 18–18 1 h 0.71%
S1 Dec, Jan 62 d H7 19–21 3 h 2.12%
S1 Dec, Jan 62 d H8 22–23 2 h 1.42%
S2 Feb, Mar 59 d H1 00–05 6 h 4.04%
S2 Feb, Mar 59 d H2 06–07 2 h 1.35%
S2 Feb, Mar 59 d H3 08–11 4 h 2.69%
S2 Feb, Mar 59 d H4 12–15 4 h 2.69%
S2 Feb, Mar 59 d H5 16–17 2 h 1.35%
S2 Feb, Mar 59 d H6 18–18 1 h 0.67%
S2 Feb, Mar 59 d H7 19–21 3 h 2.02%
S2 Feb, Mar 59 d H8 22–23 2 h 1.35%
S3 Apr, May 61 d H1 00–05 6 h 4.18%
S3 Apr, May 61 d H2 06–07 2 h 1.39%
S3 Apr, May 61 d H3 08–11 4 h 2.79%
S3 Apr, May 61 d H4 12–15 4 h 2.79%
S3 Apr, May 61 d H5 16–17 2 h 1.39%
S3 Apr, May 61 d H6 18–18 1 h 0.70%
S3 Apr, May 61 d H7 19–21 3 h 2.09%
S3 Apr, May 61 d H8 22–23 2 h 1.39%
S4 Jun, Jul 61 d H1 00–05 6 h 4.18%
S4 Jun, Jul 61 d H2 06–07 2 h 1.39%
S4 Jun, Jul 61 d H3 08–11 4 h 2.79%
S4 Jun, Jul 61 d H4 12–15 4 h 2.79%
S4 Jun, Jul 61 d H5 16–17 2 h 1.39%
S4 Jun, Jul 61 d H6 18–18 1 h 0.70%
S4 Jun, Jul 61 d H7 19–21 3 h 2.09%
S4 Jun, Jul 61 d H8 22–23 2 h 1.39%
S5 Aug, Sep 61 d H1 00–05 6 h 4.18%
S5 Aug, Sep 61 d H2 06–07 2 h 1.39%
S5 Aug, Sep 61 d H3 08–11 4 h 2.79%
S5 Aug, Sep 61 d H4 12–15 4 h 2.79%
S5 Aug, Sep 61 d H5 16–17 2 h 1.39%
S5 Aug, Sep 61 d H6 18–18 1 h 0.70%
S5 Aug, Sep 61 d H7 19–21 3 h 2.09%
S5 Aug, Sep 61 d H8 22–23 2 h 1.39%
S6 Oct, Nov 61 d H1 00–05 6 h 4.18%
S6 Oct, Nov 61 d H2 06–07 2 h 1.39%
S6 Oct, Nov 61 d H3 08–11 4 h 2.79%
S6 Oct, Nov 61 d H4 12–15 4 h 2.79%
S6 Oct, Nov 61 d H5 16–17 2 h 1.39%
S6 Oct, Nov 61 d H6 18–18 1 h 0.70%
S6 Oct, Nov 61 d H7 19–21 3 h 2.09%
S6 Oct, Nov 61 d H8 22–23 2 h 1.39%

ts_48h

4 seasons × 12 day-blocks (1–6 h). Slice weight 1.03–6.30% of the year.

season months days block clock_hours hours share_of_year
S1 Dec, Jan, Feb 90 d H01 21–02 6 h 6.16%
S1 Dec, Jan, Feb 90 d H02 03–05 3 h 3.08%
S1 Dec, Jan, Feb 90 d H03 06–06 1 h 1.03%
S1 Dec, Jan, Feb 90 d H04 07–07 1 h 1.03%
S1 Dec, Jan, Feb 90 d H05 08–08 1 h 1.03%
S1 Dec, Jan, Feb 90 d H06 09–10 2 h 2.05%
S1 Dec, Jan, Feb 90 d H07 11–12 2 h 2.05%
S1 Dec, Jan, Feb 90 d H08 13–14 2 h 2.05%
S1 Dec, Jan, Feb 90 d H09 15–16 2 h 2.05%
S1 Dec, Jan, Feb 90 d H10 17–17 1 h 1.03%
S1 Dec, Jan, Feb 90 d H11 18–18 1 h 1.03%
S1 Dec, Jan, Feb 90 d H12 19–20 2 h 2.05%
S2 Mar, Apr, May 92 d H01 21–02 6 h 6.30%
S2 Mar, Apr, May 92 d H02 03–05 3 h 3.15%
S2 Mar, Apr, May 92 d H03 06–06 1 h 1.05%
S2 Mar, Apr, May 92 d H04 07–07 1 h 1.05%
S2 Mar, Apr, May 92 d H05 08–08 1 h 1.05%
S2 Mar, Apr, May 92 d H06 09–10 2 h 2.10%
S2 Mar, Apr, May 92 d H07 11–12 2 h 2.10%
S2 Mar, Apr, May 92 d H08 13–14 2 h 2.10%
S2 Mar, Apr, May 92 d H09 15–16 2 h 2.10%
S2 Mar, Apr, May 92 d H10 17–17 1 h 1.05%
S2 Mar, Apr, May 92 d H11 18–18 1 h 1.05%
S2 Mar, Apr, May 92 d H12 19–20 2 h 2.10%
S3 Jun, Jul, Aug 92 d H01 21–02 6 h 6.30%
S3 Jun, Jul, Aug 92 d H02 03–05 3 h 3.15%
S3 Jun, Jul, Aug 92 d H03 06–06 1 h 1.05%
S3 Jun, Jul, Aug 92 d H04 07–07 1 h 1.05%
S3 Jun, Jul, Aug 92 d H05 08–08 1 h 1.05%
S3 Jun, Jul, Aug 92 d H06 09–10 2 h 2.10%
S3 Jun, Jul, Aug 92 d H07 11–12 2 h 2.10%
S3 Jun, Jul, Aug 92 d H08 13–14 2 h 2.10%
S3 Jun, Jul, Aug 92 d H09 15–16 2 h 2.10%
S3 Jun, Jul, Aug 92 d H10 17–17 1 h 1.05%
S3 Jun, Jul, Aug 92 d H11 18–18 1 h 1.05%
S3 Jun, Jul, Aug 92 d H12 19–20 2 h 2.10%
S4 Sep, Oct, Nov 91 d H01 21–02 6 h 6.23%
S4 Sep, Oct, Nov 91 d H02 03–05 3 h 3.12%
S4 Sep, Oct, Nov 91 d H03 06–06 1 h 1.04%
S4 Sep, Oct, Nov 91 d H04 07–07 1 h 1.04%
S4 Sep, Oct, Nov 91 d H05 08–08 1 h 1.04%
S4 Sep, Oct, Nov 91 d H06 09–10 2 h 2.08%
S4 Sep, Oct, Nov 91 d H07 11–12 2 h 2.08%
S4 Sep, Oct, Nov 91 d H08 13–14 2 h 2.08%
S4 Sep, Oct, Nov 91 d H09 15–16 2 h 2.08%
S4 Sep, Oct, Nov 91 d H10 17–17 1 h 1.04%
S4 Sep, Oct, Nov 91 d H11 18–18 1 h 1.04%
S4 Sep, Oct, Nov 91 d H12 19–20 2 h 2.08%

ts_72

6 seasons × 12 day-blocks (same day as ts_48h). Slice weight 0.67–4.25% of the year.

season months days block clock_hours hours share_of_year
S1 Dec, Jan 62 d H01 21–02 6 h 4.25%
S1 Dec, Jan 62 d H02 03–05 3 h 2.12%
S1 Dec, Jan 62 d H03 06–06 1 h 0.71%
S1 Dec, Jan 62 d H04 07–07 1 h 0.71%
S1 Dec, Jan 62 d H05 08–08 1 h 0.71%
S1 Dec, Jan 62 d H06 09–10 2 h 1.42%
S1 Dec, Jan 62 d H07 11–12 2 h 1.42%
S1 Dec, Jan 62 d H08 13–14 2 h 1.42%
S1 Dec, Jan 62 d H09 15–16 2 h 1.42%
S1 Dec, Jan 62 d H10 17–17 1 h 0.71%
S1 Dec, Jan 62 d H11 18–18 1 h 0.71%
S1 Dec, Jan 62 d H12 19–20 2 h 1.42%
S2 Feb, Mar 59 d H01 21–02 6 h 4.04%
S2 Feb, Mar 59 d H02 03–05 3 h 2.02%
S2 Feb, Mar 59 d H03 06–06 1 h 0.67%
S2 Feb, Mar 59 d H04 07–07 1 h 0.67%
S2 Feb, Mar 59 d H05 08–08 1 h 0.67%
S2 Feb, Mar 59 d H06 09–10 2 h 1.35%
S2 Feb, Mar 59 d H07 11–12 2 h 1.35%
S2 Feb, Mar 59 d H08 13–14 2 h 1.35%
S2 Feb, Mar 59 d H09 15–16 2 h 1.35%
S2 Feb, Mar 59 d H10 17–17 1 h 0.67%
S2 Feb, Mar 59 d H11 18–18 1 h 0.67%
S2 Feb, Mar 59 d H12 19–20 2 h 1.35%
S3 Apr, May 61 d H01 21–02 6 h 4.18%
S3 Apr, May 61 d H02 03–05 3 h 2.09%
S3 Apr, May 61 d H03 06–06 1 h 0.70%
S3 Apr, May 61 d H04 07–07 1 h 0.70%
S3 Apr, May 61 d H05 08–08 1 h 0.70%
S3 Apr, May 61 d H06 09–10 2 h 1.39%
S3 Apr, May 61 d H07 11–12 2 h 1.39%
S3 Apr, May 61 d H08 13–14 2 h 1.39%
S3 Apr, May 61 d H09 15–16 2 h 1.39%
S3 Apr, May 61 d H10 17–17 1 h 0.70%
S3 Apr, May 61 d H11 18–18 1 h 0.70%
S3 Apr, May 61 d H12 19–20 2 h 1.39%
S4 Jun, Jul 61 d H01 21–02 6 h 4.18%
S4 Jun, Jul 61 d H02 03–05 3 h 2.09%
S4 Jun, Jul 61 d H03 06–06 1 h 0.70%
S4 Jun, Jul 61 d H04 07–07 1 h 0.70%
S4 Jun, Jul 61 d H05 08–08 1 h 0.70%
S4 Jun, Jul 61 d H06 09–10 2 h 1.39%
S4 Jun, Jul 61 d H07 11–12 2 h 1.39%
S4 Jun, Jul 61 d H08 13–14 2 h 1.39%
S4 Jun, Jul 61 d H09 15–16 2 h 1.39%
S4 Jun, Jul 61 d H10 17–17 1 h 0.70%
S4 Jun, Jul 61 d H11 18–18 1 h 0.70%
S4 Jun, Jul 61 d H12 19–20 2 h 1.39%
S5 Aug, Sep 61 d H01 21–02 6 h 4.18%
S5 Aug, Sep 61 d H02 03–05 3 h 2.09%
S5 Aug, Sep 61 d H03 06–06 1 h 0.70%
S5 Aug, Sep 61 d H04 07–07 1 h 0.70%
S5 Aug, Sep 61 d H05 08–08 1 h 0.70%
S5 Aug, Sep 61 d H06 09–10 2 h 1.39%
S5 Aug, Sep 61 d H07 11–12 2 h 1.39%
S5 Aug, Sep 61 d H08 13–14 2 h 1.39%
S5 Aug, Sep 61 d H09 15–16 2 h 1.39%
S5 Aug, Sep 61 d H10 17–17 1 h 0.70%
S5 Aug, Sep 61 d H11 18–18 1 h 0.70%
S5 Aug, Sep 61 d H12 19–20 2 h 1.39%
S6 Oct, Nov 61 d H01 21–02 6 h 4.18%
S6 Oct, Nov 61 d H02 03–05 3 h 2.09%
S6 Oct, Nov 61 d H03 06–06 1 h 0.70%
S6 Oct, Nov 61 d H04 07–07 1 h 0.70%
S6 Oct, Nov 61 d H05 08–08 1 h 0.70%
S6 Oct, Nov 61 d H06 09–10 2 h 1.39%
S6 Oct, Nov 61 d H07 11–12 2 h 1.39%
S6 Oct, Nov 61 d H08 13–14 2 h 1.39%
S6 Oct, Nov 61 d H09 15–16 2 h 1.39%
S6 Oct, Nov 61 d H10 17–17 1 h 0.70%
S6 Oct, Nov 61 d H11 18–18 1 h 0.70%
S6 Oct, Nov 61 d H12 19–20 2 h 1.39%