This month's theme is GRID, with lots of action around the value of microgrids and distributed generation to bring reliability to grid-connected systems around the world. But we are still very involved in the off-grid and energy access world, and in fact we are holding a 1-day training in Manila on June 20th, following the Asian Clean Energy Forum, focusing on village power and small utility applications for HOMER. So read on - there are lots of activities and places to be this month.

HOMER Energy co-authored the ground-breaking report produced by thinktank Rocky Mountain Institute - The Economics of Load Defection: How grid-connected solar-plus-battery systems will compete with traditional electric service, why it matters, and possible paths forward. The report's findings were primarily based on HOMER analyses. You can download the report here.

We join with the Rocky Mountain Institute again on May 7, at 12:00 noon Mountain Daylight Time (1800 GMT), to discuss the report's findings. Learn more about the webinar and how to sign up below.

The report has been picked up widely by the press, and here's a list of some of the pieces we most enjoyed:

Powering your home with batteries is going to get cheaper and cheaper - The Washington Post

Why your next home might be battery powered - The Washington Post

Report: ‘Load Defection’ From Customer-Owned Solar and Batteries Is Already Here - GreenTech Media

HOMER Energy is hosting a half-day "deep dive" workshop on Monday, April 15, preceding the Asia Clean Energy Forum in Manila. We are looking for speakers who wish to present their HOMER analyses on modeling mini-grids using HOMER. The workshop will also include an expanded demonstration of HOMER Pro.

Please send your speaking proposals to workshops@homerenergy.com no later than May 15, 2015.

WHEN: 2:00-5:30, June 15
WHERE: Asian Development Bank, Manila
COST: Free, but participants must register for the ACEF and separately for the workshop

Click here to register for the Asia Clean Energy Forum

Click here to register for the Deep Dive HOMER Workshop and demonstration

A full-day HOMER training will be held on Saturday, June 20, following the ACEF. More information and registration information is available below.

HOMER Energy is offering its first-ever open training in Asia on 20 June 2015 in the capital city of Manila, the Philippines. The one-day training will follow immediately after the Asia Clean Energy Forum.

Seats are very limited, so we recommend early registration. CLICK HERE to learn more and reserve your space.

Although microgrids have been around for decades, the current groundswell of interest in them is driven primarily by the need for power in remote areas and the need for reliability and resiliency in grid-connected areas. But new microgrids are emerging that were planned that way from the beginning - designed from day one to be independent power producers.

A Colorado developer is marketing a microgrid-powered "energy park" in northern Colorado - an opportunity to place data centers and other energy consuming uses at or near the generation source. More

Primus Power, a leader in distributed, cost effective energy
storage for improving electric stability and security, has joined HOMER Energy's Silver Partner Program. Leonics and Trojan Battery have renewed their subscriptions. Please contact our sales department if your organization is interested in learning about partnership opportunities and the advantages they bring.

New HOMER Pro Licensing Options Now Available

We have expanded the options available for licensing HOMER Pro to include new monthly licenses, greatly reduced student licenses, and flexible enterprise licensing options for both companies and schools. There is a HOMER Pro license available that will meet your needs. CLICK HERE to see the options now, or contact our sales department for a customized quote.

HOMER Pro 3.2 Available: Autosizing Generators, Random Grid Outages, Self-Guided Tutorial, More Internet Resources

HOMER Pro 3.2 was released a few days ago, and it takes HOMER to a new level! Some of most exciting features include the ability to both schedule grid outages or have HOMER model random outages (or both), autosize the generator based on load, and pull wind and temperature resources from the Internet. There are also many performance and usability enhancements designed to make it faster and easier for you.

One of the biggest issues facing new HOMER Pro users is understanding how to use HOMER, and a new self-guided tutorial is designed to help with that. Look for the big blue "Take Tour" button when you first open HOMER Pro. HOMER Pro 3.2 is a free update for all current license holders, no matter the license type. CLICK HERE to download this exciting upate.

HOMER Energy is in the process of expanding our HOMER training options, with a goal of introducing HOMER Pro Certification. But as a small and nimble company, we want to focus first on those courses and offerings of the greatest value to our customers. That is why we ask for your participation in our first ever HOMER Training Survey. It takes no more than 5 minutes to complete, and we will be using it to offer you more training options in the near future.

Take the survey now.

While Peter Lilienthal was a senior economist with NREL's International Programs Office from 1990-2007, he engaged in development of distributed power projects. As he used his technical expertise in utility modeling and economic analysis as part of NREL's International and Village Power Programs, he saw a need for a better way to design hybrid renewable energy microgrids. More

Well, this is certainly interesting!

For the first 75 days of 2015, Costa Rica's 2.8 million citizens not only powered their homes and businesses with solely renewable energy sources, but cut costs as well.

As part of a nationwide clean energy campaign, Costa Rica challenged itself to run the entire country by using natural energy sources such as water, sunlight and wind. More

Russell Cohen wrote in Energize Weekly: American communities have been increasingly devastated by ravaging storms which strand millions without electricity for days on end, and leave billions of dollars of damage in their wake. As a result, communities are looking for new ways to mitigate service interruptions and safeguard against future disasters which could once again knock-out power to thousands of businesses and residents. “Building in grid resiliency has gained greater urgency in recent years, as demonstrated by the economic and personal losses from electricity outages due to severe weather,” says Ernest Moniz, U.S. Energy Secretary. “Keeping the power on during extreme weather events and other electric grid disruptions is essential.” More

Click on the title to view a webinar

• Introduction to HOMER Pro Modeling Software - May 5 and 7 - Online
• Introduction to HOMER Pro Modeling Software - May 26 and 28 - Online
• Introduction to HOMER Pro Modeling Software - June 9 and 10 - Online