Many online resources exist for planning alternative energy installations.  One free source for modeling software and other information is the National Renewable Energy Laboratory(NREL) that offers several resources for planners.

NREL is a Department of Energy laboratory for researching and developing renewable energy.  The website has a variety of tools that can be used by companies and individuals in modeling renewable energy systems.

Programs like HOMER and Hybrid Power System Simulation Model (Hybrid2) can be downloaded for use in various modeling projects.  Homer was developed by Peter Lilienthal, a senior economist at NREL and Hybrid2 was developed “in collaboration with researchers at the University of Massachusetts.”

HOMER “is a computer model that simplifies the task of evaluating design options for both off-grid and grid-connected power systems for remote, stand-alone, and distributed generation (DG) applications.”  By using HOMER, individuals and companies can evaluate the costs and environmental impact of using various technologies like the following:

Power sources:

•solar photovoltaic (PV)

•wind turbine

•run-of-river hydro power

•generator: diesel, gasoline, biogas, alternative and custom fuels, cofired

•electric utility grid

•microturbine

•fuel cell

Storage:

•battery bank

•hydrogen

Loads:

•daily profiles with seasonal variation

•deferrable (water pumping, refrigeration)

•thermal (space heating, crop drying)

•efficiency measures

HOMER requires users to register before downloading the program.  When you register you receive a six month license to use the program.  You can renew your license an unlimited number of times which is handy if you progress into multiple projects or require more than six months to complete your modeling.

Hybrid 2 is similar to HOMER, but  performs long term economic and performance analysis for a variety of hybrid systems.  The description of the program from the download site shows very complex modeling components.

Hybrid2 is a probabilistic/time series computer model, using time series data for Loads, Wind speed, Solar insolation, Temperature and the power system designed or selected by the user, to predict the performance of the hybrid power system. Variations in wind speed and in load within each time step are factored into the performance predictions. The code does not consider short term system fluctuations caused by system dynamics or component transients.

In other words, it takes tons of information on renewable energy factors and systems and allows you to combine them in a myriad of ways to find the best configuration technologically and economically for your project.  You can get your report in summary or detailed form and can access various different manufacturers information for constructing your projects.

Unlike HOMER, you must have a password to install the demo version of Hybrid 2. The email address for getting a password for the demo is hybrid2@ecs.umass.edu.  To get a copy of the full version, you must email Ian Baring-Gould at hybrid2@nrel.gov.

These programs are probably easier to use for those with engineering or scientific backgrounds, but it is nice to know that they can be accessed by the rest of us.

Via National Renewable Energy Laboratory and The Center for Energy Efficiency and Energy Renewal at University of Massachusetts, Amhearst

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Entry was posted on Tuesday, August 19th, 2008 at 5:30 pm under Green Technology, Science and technology.

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