New Updates to HOMER Grid Software Offer Enhanced Modeling for Distributed Energy Systems

BOULDER, Colo., Sept. 25, 2019 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- The HOMER Grid software, a tool for pre-feasibility analysis of grid-tied distributed energy systems, has three new features that will make it an even more powerful and efficient tool. Released this week, HOMER Grid 1.6 provides for close integration with financial modeling tools, easy creation of custom utility tariffs and improved ways to determine the optimal size of PV inverters.

HOMER Grid 1.6 makes data sharing easy. With the ability to export the operational metrics and economic results into Excel documents, users can incorporate calculations from HOMER Grid simulations into financial models or, using Excel, perform further cash flow analysis. This feature makes it easier to integrate HOMER Grid simulation results into financial planning reports and produce more accurate forecasts.

HOMER Grid 1.6 also streamlines the design process by allowing energy professionals to create custom tariffs and save them to the HOMER Grid library. In order to calculate savings on demand charges and energy costs, HOMER Grid incorporates tens of thousands of US, Canadian, and Mexican utility tariffs. However, users modeling a project outside North America or working with wholesale or contracted retail energy pricing need to work with custom tariffs. The latest version of HOMER Grid allows users to create and save these custom tariffs to the HOMER Grid library for frequent use, providing a simplified design process and smoother workflow.

In addition, the latest HOMER Grid version offers enhanced modeling for PV inverters. With the improved capabilities, users are able to size inverters based on the DC/AC ratio, also known as inverter/load ratio. This feature is especially useful for professionals who normally size inverters as a ratio based on the capacity of the PV array.

HOMER Grid helps commercial and industrial (C&I) customers reduce demand charges and other electricity costs through the design of behind-the-meter projects that incorporate renewable energy, storage, and other efficient technologies such as combined heat and power (CHP). By accurately modeling and comparing the financial benefits of different distributed energy investments, HOMER Grid users can reduce financial risk the best mix of resources for the lowest cost.

About HOMER Energy

HOMER Energy is the developer and distributor of HOMER software, the global standard for energy modeling tools that analyze solar-plus-storage, microgrids, and other distributed energy projects. HOMER® Pro simulates the engineering and economic feasibility of complex off-grid and grid-tied distributed energy systems that combine conventional and renewable power, storage, and load management. HOMER Grid, aimed at the solar-plus-storage market, helps commercial and industrial customers design hybrid renewable energy systems that save on electricity bills and lower carbon footprints. Based in Boulder, Colorado, HOMER Energy was founded in 2009 by Peter Lilienthal, Ph.D., and Marilyn Walker, Ph.D., and now has over 200,000 users in more than 190 countries. Learn more at http://www.homerenergy.com or call 720-565-4046.

SOURCE HOMER Energy