| lp_type | Type of heat load profile | - | sting | Options: BERNIER; CONSTANT; VARIABLE; FROMFILE |
| lp_inputdir | Path to folder containing the heat load source file | — | string | - |
| lp_outdir | Path to output directory for generated profiles and figures | — | string | Creates folder if not existing |
| lp_filename | Name of the input file containing the heat load data | — | string | Optional; only used if `lp_type` is FROMFILE |
| lp_inputcolumn | Name of the column in the input file that contains the heat load data | - | string | Optional; only used if `lp_type` is FROMFILE |
| lp_filename | Name of the input CSV file containing the heat load data | — | string | The fourth row in the file must contain the column names; Optional; only used if `lp_type` is FROMFILE |
| lp_inputcolumn | Name of the column in the input file that contains the heat load data | - | string | Heat load data in unit kW; Optional; only used if `lp_type` is FROMFILE |
| lp_smoothing | Type of smoothing applied to the load data | — | string | Options: D (daily), M (monthly), Y (yearly). Optional; only used if `lp_type` is FROMFILE |
| lp_scale | Scaling factor applied to the load values | — | scalar | Scaling factor for the load profile. Optional; only used if `lp_type` is FROMFILE |
| lp_minscaleflow | Minimum scaling factor for flow | - | scalar | To avoid very lowe flowrates affecting numerical performance. Optional; only used if `lp_type` is FROMFILE or VARIABLE |
@@ -86,6 +86,10 @@ The column with heat load or flow rate data is defined in the `**_inpucolumn` pa
For a variable flow rate, an example of such a file is provided in the `input` subdirectory of the working directory of the example from a
[BHE with a daily-variable flow rate profile](../examples/variable_flow_rate/variable_flow_rate.md)
> **_NOTE:_** The heat load in the CSV datafile has unit kW and the first four rows in the datafile are considered header lines;
> make sure the column names are defines in row 4.
> The simulation internally operates on a uniform time array, which is generated based on the parameters `nyear` and `nled`
> in the main simulation configuration. Both heat load and flow rate profiles are interpolated or indexed to match this simulation time array.
