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Terms in Aire

Terms are the core variables that power every model in Aire. Think of them like variables in code or named cells in Excel—they represent assumptions, calculations, constants, or outputs. Everything in the platform—formulas, views, scenarios, exports—is built from terms.

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What is a Term?

A term is a single, addressable component of the model. It might represent:
  • An input (e.g. electricity price)
  • A derived calculation (e.g. annual revenue = price × output)
  • A constant (e.g. inflation rate = 0.02)
  • An output (e.g. NPV, IRR, LCOE)
Terms serve as the connective tissue of the model, making logic reusable, traceable, and configurable across scenarios.

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Term Metadata

Each term carries structured metadata to support clarity and automation:
  • Label – A human-readable display name
  • Unit – The physical or financial unit (e.g. %, USD/kW, tons/year)
  • Description – A plain-text explanation of the term’s meaning or intent
  • Source – A citation or reference indicating where the value came from (e.g. user input, paper, lab result, past project)
This metadata flows with the term through formulas, views, QA, and exports.

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Term Cases

A case is an alternate value for a term, used to represent different assumptions or inputs. For example, a term like electricity_price might have cases for low, base, and high —each corresponding to a different expected input. You can assign cases to any term to explore uncertainty, compare options, or build out scenario logic. Cases are lightweight and modular: they don’t duplicate the model, they just express multiple possibilities within it. You can define as many cases as you need, and use them to power scenario switching, sensitivity analysis, or structured comparisons across views.

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Where Terms Live

Terms live inside blocks—modular units of logic that group related terms together. A block might represent:
  • A technical subsystem (e.g. a solar array, electrolyzer, or pipeline)
  • A financial component (e.g. loan structure, depreciation)
  • A structural section of the model (e.g. project wrap, summary)
Blocks can nest inside other blocks, allowing you to model complex systems in a modular, composable way.

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How Terms Are Used

Terms are the foundation for all platform workflows:
  • Formulas use them to compute downstream logic
  • Views display them for analysis and reporting
  • Scenarios swap between term cases to model different outcomes
  • AI tools interpret them to extract insights or flag risks
  • Exports package them for presentations, memos, or investor deliverables