HOMER^® Pro’s proposal writer helps energy developers communicate details of technically complex systems to facilitate the sale of their projects to clients and investors.

HOMER Energy by UL, the global leader in the development of standard-setting energy modeling software, released a new HOMER Pro feature that eases the creation of information-rich proposals. Through its new proposal writer, system designers can quickly and efficiently produce professional reports that illustrate cost savings from distributed renewable energy projects, as well as technical features of the system simulated.

Compiled from the data in a HOMER Pro modeling run, the proposals facilitate communication between multiple stakeholders in a distributed energy project including clients, engineers, construction professionals, financiers, regulators and others.

HOMER Pro software creates graphics in the context of streamlined, well-organized and highly customizable proposals that help demonstrate cost-savings, key proposed hybrid microgrid elements and clear cost comparisons to technical and non-technical audiences.  For example, users can graphically view the relative contributions of solar and battery storage in a hybrid system, identify when backup generation might be required and compare different dispatch algorithms or visualize system performance during different seasons.  HOMER Pro also includes intuitive graphs that represent capital and operating expenses, allowing a user to view and compare different payback periods and energy cost savings. 

The HOMER Pro proposal writer can be customized to produce reports branded with the user logo and profile and allows users the ability to include their choice of graphs and charts output from HOMER Pro software.

“With HOMER Pro’s new proposal writer feature, it is much easier for our customers to demonstrate the value of a distributed renewable energy system to their customers,” said Peter Lilienthal, founder of HOMER Energy, who leads microgrid software and advisory services for UL.  “HOMER Pro compares all potential system combinations in a single run, generating a tremendous amount of information about an energy project. The proposal writer consolidates that information and puts it into an attractive, readable format that highlights key points, such as lifetime cash flows and key technical details of the system. Essentially, it helps make the results of an energy simulation understandable to everyone.”

HOMER Pro has set the standard for modeling energy systems in the global marketplace for over a decade. The software models complex hybrid energy systems and microgrids that can include solar, wind, batteries, generators, combined heat and power, hydro, biomass and other resources. By simulating operations for potentially hundreds of systems over a period of a year, this  software identifies least-cost options. Using this tool, project developers can help reduce financial risk through the discovery of important technical issues revealed during the software’s thorough pre-feasibility analysis and identification of the most economically optimal systems.

HOMER Pro software is integrated with Helioscope and PVsyst, allowing users to import files from those photovoltaic design programs directly into other applications of HOMER Energy by UL for further analysis. The software is also integrated with Utility API when working with a participating utility which allows users to import high resolution load data into HOMER Pro and design more accurate distributed energy systems to meet those loads.

For more information about the HOMER Pro proposal writer feature, please visit homerenergy.com.

UL Southern Africa