A need to increase the pandas version has been identified via the work in #885 that sought to remove the needs_pandas_0_22 and needs_pandas_0_17 decorators. For example, the function pvlib.irradiance.perez() specifically outputs different components whether it uses pandas>=0.18 or before and the tests are required to deal with this difference. From this perspective the goal is to simplify tests and avoid different functionality within supported versions of pandas.
A good guideline for the process of increasing versions is proposed by @wholmgren in #828 where he outlines the criteria as:
I suggest that we instead aggressively drop numpy/python versions when 1. there is a reason to do so and 2. the versions are outside the NEP-29 windows
The simplification of the testing suite and standardizing outputs certainly fall into 1. above as a criteria for deciding on the minimum pandas versions.
A need to increase the pandas version has been identified via the work in #885 that sought to remove the
needs_pandas_0_22andneeds_pandas_0_17decorators. For example, the function pvlib.irradiance.perez() specifically outputs different components whether it uses pandas>=0.18 or before and the tests are required to deal with this difference. From this perspective the goal is to simplify tests and avoid different functionality within supported versions of pandas.A good guideline for the process of increasing versions is proposed by @wholmgren in #828 where he outlines the criteria as:
The simplification of the testing suite and standardizing outputs certainly fall into 1. above as a criteria for deciding on the minimum pandas versions.