Optimizing Clean Power Everywhere

1790 30th St, Suite 100, Boulder, Colorado 80301, USA http://www.homerenergy.com ● +1-720-565-4046

Modeling Microgrids with HOMER®:

Capabilities and Benefits in the U.S.

Grid-Connected Market John Glassmire

Director of Energy Engineeringjohn@homerenergy.com

HOMER Energy• NREL: 1992-2009• Original developers now at HOMER Energy• 160,000+ users in 193 countries• HOMER growth follows microgrid industry

1,600+ new signups each month

Software: The HOMER® Software is the global standard for microgrid economic design optimization

Education and Training: Building capacity for designing hybrid renewable systems

Consulting: Advising on microgrid design, project development, and markets

Market Access: Helping investors, people, and suppliers connect with projects and partners

Overview of what we do

HOMER Software• HOMER Pro is the industry standard for

rapid assessment of least cost solutions for clean, reliable, distributed power

– Conventional resources

– Renewable resources

– Neighboring grid connections

– Storage

– Load Management

HOMER Software• The only major commercial tool focused on

microgrid design optimization

HOMER Software History• 1993 Village Power

– Internal NREL use• 1998 Version 1.0

– Publicly available application• 2001 Version 2.0

– Grid-connected microgrids, CHP• 2009 HOMER Energy

– Commercial license• 2013 to today HOMER Pro

– Completely redesigned UI– HOMER Optimizer™– Grid reliability modeling– All components as library– Enhanced storage modeling– Advanced grid-storage modeling– Multi-year modeling and cost escalation– Controllers, New dispatch options, MATLAB Link & Custom SDK

Distributed, alternative

HOMER bridges different worlds

Centralized, traditional

HOMERModelTechnical Economic

HOMER is a communication tool

Renewable advocates

Utility operators

Power Engineers Financiers

1. Grid-Tied ResilienceHOMER provides a key resource in the growing hybrid energy markets, helping design distributed solutions for reliability.

2. CO2 reductionHOMER helps customers and communities plan low cost options to meet environmental goals.

3. Backup for unreliable gridsHOMER helps provide clean, quiet, and reliable power where it is not available.

4. Remote systemsIsland/Islanded MicrogridsEnergy Access with Mini-gridsRemote Projects and facilities

Market applications

Our Software is used to design microgrids from 3 kW – 300 MW

Who uses HOMER?

A few users of HOMER Pro

What others say about us“We spent a lot of money developing our own model, but threw it away because everyone kept asking for our HOMER results.” Bruce Levy, CEO, TDX Power - USA

“Everybody I know who is working with HOMER is amazed” Michael Tittmann, Tittmann Solar GmbH, Germany

“You guys have created a very powerful tool - I’m new to the Microgrid world - so HOMER is a great help. I recommend Homer to everyone I meet!” Steve B – Ontario, Canada

“HOMER has become a staple in our program's integrated energy planning course”

Martin Obermaier, Energy Planning Program - COPPE/UFRJ, Brazil

If you’ve seen one microgrid….

you’ve seen one microgrid!

The microgrid challenge

What is best?

• Depends on the application–Resources–Loads–Equipment prices–Equipment performance

• A confused mind says “No!”• HOMER fits the pieces together

Microgrid design cycle

Collect data

Analyze

Evaluate

Improve

There are many different design cycles we could choose. This is a simple one.

Microgrid design process

Early-stage designLots of optionsQuick, low-cost analysisEasy to change designsGoals not firm

Late-stage designDesigns are very detailed

Formal vendor quotesDesign changes hard/expensiveGood understanding of benefits

T&D/wiring, power flow, transient

Chosen design

Starting design

Analyze

Improve

Collect data

Evaluate

Continuous refinement of the project design

HOMER

Considerations in MG modelling• Early design is important

– Eliminate bad options to save $$$– Clarify goals and benefits

• The model is important– No need to re-invent the wheel!– Tested models important for bankability

• Need to consider reliability– MGs require chronological modeling– Needs vary: design optimization, power flow, transient analysis

• Collecting data has a cost– Use the data you’ve got– Improving the data is a choice

•Dispatch & control affects the economics– Need a platform that can quickly compare dispatches

• The world is uncertain– Use sensitivity analysis to understand risk– Good early design prevents major changes during late design

Let’s build a slow,

expensive, complicated

model in Excel!

Why use HOMER? • Time-tested

– HOMER software in use for more than 2 decades• Reliable

– Chronological simulation underpins all results• Commercially supported

– Easy to obtain – Strong user support

• Usability is part of our design process– Friendly user-interface

• Merges the technical & economic– Balances critical factors for making microgrid design decisions

• Quick design optimization results– Simulate thousands of options in minutes

• Uses the available data to find the optimal design– “Use the data you have”– Identify what data is important– Flexible data inputs to support evolving data

• Extensive reporting and outputs– Rapid reports, plots, graphics

• Infinitely customizable (as complex as you need!)– Standard & custom dispatches, Millions of possible designs– Can use MATLAB Link and SDK to test different dispatch algorithms

• Supports from early (conceptual, pre-feasibility) to late-stage (engineering design)– Understand benefits before committing significant time & money

Some sample HOMER analyses• NY Smart grid• Homewood Ski Resort CHP/PV feasibility study• Solar+Storage for California wineries• IRENA Innovation Outlook: Renewable Mini-grids

(pending publication)• Massachusetts DOER Community Clean Energy

Resiliency Initiative• Fort Bragg Analysis of Generation Alternatives• Microgrid Design for Emergency Services in San

Diego

http://homerenergy.com/events/economics-of-grid-defection-webinar.html

What if customers cut the wire?

Customers should not cut the wire

How microgrids can benefit customers and utilities

How can you get involved?

• HOMER Demo Workshop this Wednesday– Morning session, August 31– “Techno-economic modeling of grid-connected

microgrids”

• HOMER International Microgrid Conference– 4th Annual– New York, New York– November 7th and 8th, 2016

Thank you!

John GlassmireDirector of Energy Engineering

HOMER Energy1790 30th St. Suite 100Boulder, CO 80301 USA

Office: +1-720-565-4046

john@homerenergy.com

Download HOMER Pro atwww.homerenergy.com