HOMER Energy has released version 3.12 of its microgrid modeling software, HOMER Pro. The updated software now includes thousands of sample loads representing most of the world’s climate zones and load types, and a predictive dispatch algorithm that takes into account future load and weather data, the company says.
Boulder, Colorado-based HOMER Energy, founded in 2009 by Peter Lilienthal and Marilyn Walker, develops and distributes software that has more than 200,000 users in over 190 countries worldwide. HOMER stands for “hybrid optimization model for multiple energy resources” and was originally developed at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory.
The HOMER Pro software helps users model and compare the economics of hundreds or thousands of potential small-scale hybrid renewable power system configurations. It is used to optimize microgrid design across sectors, including village power, island utilities, grid-connected campuses, and military bases.
“By adding representative loads for various climates and building types, these updates provide instant access to sample electric load data, a critical part of hybrid system feasibility analysis and design,” the company says. “Reflecting the growing microgrid market around the world, these updates also include increased access to load data outside the United States.”
The predictive dispatch algorithm looks ahead to understand what the weather will be like and how much electricity will be required in the next 48 hours so that the software can control batteries and generators in the most economic way possible, according to HOMER Energy.
Version 3.12 of HOMER Pro also has improvements to the reporting tools and features that save time by making it easier to import data.
“These updates will help bring stable, renewable energy to more corners of the world through better understanding of microgrid design options,” said the company’s founder and CEO Peter Lilienthal.
