UL Solutions announced the release of the new 1.0 version of HOMER® Front software, adding expanded performance and financial forecasting capabilities to the subscription-based online application for designing, optimizing and maximizing the revenue and return on investment of complex utility-scale energy storage, solar, wind and hybrid systems. With the new capabilities in HOMER Front software version 1.0, battery energy storage system (BESS) stakeholders can model most electricity markets worldwide.
BLOG
State Policy Innovations Crucial to Adoption of Microgrid Technology
The trade industry group Think Microgrid has issued a new report ranking states for their support of microgrid technology. The group says that legacy state energy policies must be reformed in order for the microgrid industry to move ahead.
Decarbonize industrial processes and our energy future with green hydrogen
Hydrogen can help decarbonize hard-to-abate, energy- and carbon-intensive industrial processes, long-haul transporting, and ammonia production. But making hydrogen requires a significant amount of electricity. Green hydrogen delivers clean energy with only water and heat as a byproduct and is seeing renewed and intensified focus as the path to fully decarbonizing energy use worldwide.
Award-Winning Caribbean Microgrid Incorporates Hurricane Resilience
An award-winning Caribbean microgrid is engineered for extreme weather conditions – such as hurricanes – and corrosion, from proximity to the sea. The Rocky Mountain Institute has published best practices for design of solar arrays in hurricane prone areas.
Join Us at Microgrid Knowledge Conference 2024
Microgrid Knowledge (MGK) Conference 2024 is the intersection of education, advocacy and collaboration on the mission-critical pathway to NetZero unity. Join us and say hi to the HOMER Software team on the show floor at booth #507 to learn all about what’s new with HOMER Pro, HOMER Grid and HOMER Front. Also, don’t miss our session on April 23rd, 2024, ‘The Dynamic Path to Reliable Energy: A Living Roadmap’.
5th International Conference on Solar Technologies and Hybrid Mini-Grids – Call for Speakers Now Open
The International Conference on Solar Technologies and Hybrid Mini-Grids is pleased to announce the initiation of the call for abstracts. Scheduled to be held at the University of the Balearic Islands in Palma de Mallorca (Spain) from September 4 to 6, 2024, this event provides a unique opportunity for professionals across industries, academia, and institutions to engage in discussions about decentralized energy access and local development. Submit yours by February 29th, 2024.
Engineers Without Borders Germany Uses HOMER® Software to Repower a Village School in Nepal
Engineers Without Borders, Germany, has repowered a remote rural school in Nepal. The goal was to provide lightning protection and a new microgrid for power resilience.
Early Adopters of Microgrid Technology: African Telecommunications Companies Use Renewable Energy to Power Cell Towers and Industry Growth
Microgrids have proven to be crucial for powering cell towers in Africa, where mobile phone technology leapfrogged over landlines in the past few decades. Ugandan engineer Nelson Tashobya explains how he has used HOMER Pro to design renewably-powered microgrids that save on diesel fuel costs and provide reliable power in remote locations.
Join UL Solutions at the EV World Congress USA
The EV World Congress USA is the definitive event for fleet owners, businesses, and municipalities looking for solutions to install charging infrastructure for residents, customers, or employees. UL Solutions is a proud sponsor of this event and we will have a booth exhibit and will be taking part in a panel discussion. Join us!
Electrify Your Parking Lot: Successfully forecast EV charging revenue and cost in seven easy steps
Join the HOMER Software team on to discover how to take the guesswork out of forecasting EV charging revenue and costs in this educational webinar. As electric vehicles (EVs) sweep the nation, the future of parking is paved with economic opportunities. But it’s not as easy as installing direct current fast charging and getting the needed power supply. Distributed generation-plus-storage systems offer a quicker — and in most cases better and less costly — solution than power grid upgrades. But how do you evaluate the return on investment of adding distributed energy-powered EV charging stations?
UL Solutions HOMER® Grid Software’s New Release Empowers Electric Vehicle Charging Station Designers to Maximize Revenue and Return on Investment
A new release of HOMER® Grid, energy modeling software for grid-connected hybrid power projects, enables users to rapidly calculate EV charging revenue. The new capability helps project developers reduce the time and uncertainty of evaluating the ROI of a proposed, site-specific, renewable energy-plus-storage powered charging station, maximize the project’s value, and demonstrate that value to customers. Additional updates include the addition of California’s new Net Energy Metering (NEM) 3.0 tariffs and the ability to import project production data from other design software. Learn more at the webinar on Sept. 28, 2023. Read more for details.
Fort Collins Deploys a Microgrid for Resilience and Carbon Dioxide Reduction at the Northside Aztlan Community Center
The city of Fort Collins, Colorado has deployed a new microgrid on a community center. It will provide resilience in emergencies, aid in carbon reduction and provide grid services to the municipal utility.
2023 Renewable Energy Grid Integration Week
UL Solutions is a proud supporter of the 2023 Renewable Energy Grid Integration Week. The events will be held on the Lyngby campus of the Technical University of Denmark – DTU from September 25-28, 2023. Join us for the 7th E-Mobility Power System Integration Symposium and the 22nd Wind & Solar Integration Workshop.
Powering the coming surge of electric vehicles with renewable energy
The coming surge of electric vehicles is going to create massive new demand for EV charging stations. And that in turn is going to create greater nationwide demand for electricity and a challenge for the aging U.S. grid. In a new article in Microgrid Knowledge, Peter Lilienthal, creator of the HOMER software, explains how HOMER Grid can help solve that problem:
Hotel Marcel combines historic architecture, energy efficiency and a renewably powered microgrid
The Bauhaus-style Hotel Marcel is a historic architectural landmark in New Haven, Connecticut. Architect Bruce Becker remodeled the building, which had stood empty for two decades, turning it into highly efficient, top-rated Connecticut hotel and adding a microgrid modeled using HOMER Grid.
Energy & Mobility Technology, Systems and Value Chain
An event over a decade in the making, ENERGY & MOBILITY: Technology, Systems, and Value Chain that is taking place from September 12-15, 2023 has evolved from the Cleveland based […]
Join UL Solutions at RE+ 2023
Join us for presentations and software demos to learn about the latest advancements in HOMER software at RE+ 2023. Stop by UL Solutions booth #355 to see how HOMER software helps you conquer modeling EV charging infrastructure, hydrogen production and utility-scale storage. Get the latest on how to maximize project value and accelerate the design-to-build process.
Think Microgrid Policy Summit: Overcoming Barriers to Microgrid Adoption
In its 2023 Microgrid Policy Summit, the industry coalition Think Microgrid assembled experts from the industry to explore policy hurdles that are slowing microgrid development. Learn more about the issues they reported.
HOMER Grid 1.10 new EV charging and tariff features are now available
Electric vehicles are expected to sweep the nation, creating a critical need for businesses to consider EV charging infrastructure and calculate the potential revenue of adding EV charging. That’s one reason we’re super excited to roll out the new version 1.10 of HOMER Grid software, which includes a cutting-edge revenue calculator for EV charging stations, as well as new NEM 3.0 tariffs and the ability to import multiple solar and wind production data files.
Qatar Desert Farm is Powered by Renewable Energy Microgrid
A HOMER-modeled microgrid powers an off-grid desert farm in Qatar, designed by the Qatar Environment and Energy Institute (QEERI).
German Engineers Without Borders Brings Light and Sanitation to Malawi Schools Using Renewable Energy
Students at the Chambala school in Malawi now have electricity to power lights and electronics. Installed by Engineers Without Borders, Germany, the project also includes education about renewable energy.
Growth Expectations in the Microgrid Market
The Danish proverb goes: “It’s difficult to make predictions, especially about the future.” But clear signals in the microgrid industry point toward accelerated growth on an unprecedented scale. Which microgrid market will have the most growth in 2023 and why?
Namibia Marble Factory Achieves Substantial Cost Savings by Going Off the Grid
A off-grid marble factory in Namibia — modeled with UL Solutions HOMER® Pro — is costing its owners about half of what they would pay for electricity from the grid. As an added benefit, the renewable energy microgrid is more reliable than grid power.
Message from the Founder of HOMER Software – March 2023
Microgrid activity is heating up here in the U.S. In this newsletter, we highlight the growing role of microgrids for resilience and the expected impact of the Inflation Reduction Act. Now that the vulnerability of the larger grid has become more apparent, microgrids are becoming the go-to resource for critical facilities and infrastructure everywhere and for whole communities in disaster-prone areas such as California. One such critical facility is the Oregon National Guard’s Nesmith Readiness Center in Dallas, Oregon. The Oregon National Guard recently added long-duration energy storage to its existing solar array to provide resilience in preparation for a major earthquake and tsunami expected to strike in the next 50 years.
Join Us at the Microgrid Knowledge 2023 Conference
Join us from May 16-17, 2023 in Anaheim, California for the Microgrid Knowledge 2023 Conference conference to explore the markets, technologies, policies and customer benefits emerging as we decentralize our energy supply and electrify buildings and transportation. HOMER Software founder, Peter Lilienthal, will be presenting during the “Fending Off Climate Disasters with Microgrids” session on ‘Resilience Hubs: powering energy equity in climate disasters and year-round’.
Oregon National Guard Center Operates a Microgrid to Provide Resilience in Case of Earthquake
The Oregon National Guard is preparing for a major earthquake and tsunami, expected to strike the Pacific Northwest within the next 50 years. A microgrid operating at the Guard’s Nesmith Readiness Center in Dallas will provide resilience and serve as a blueprint for upgrading other facilities.
Remote Microgrids Become a Reality in Isolated Communities and Fire-prone Areas
A remote microgrid is successfully powering Briceburg, California, a small community in a high-risk wildfire region. Built by BoxPower using HOMER software, the hybrid power system is part of PG&E’s remote grid program.
Message from the Founder of HOMER Software – December 2022
Dear Readers, As this year’s United Nations Climate Change Conference — COP27 — comes to a close, it is timely that the discussions coincide with the passage of […]
“Resilience Hubs” arise in neighborhoods nationwide to provide renewable power and disaster support during power outages
Many U.S. cities are implementing Resilience Hubs to provide emergency services during extreme weather events and power outages. The city of Detroit, Michigan is building a network of hubs to help residents of neighborhoods that are vulnerable to flooding.
UL Solutions Releases New Features for HOMER® Grid Modeling Software to Enable More Detailed Cost Evaluations for Grid-tied Microgrids
A new release of HOMER Grid, energy modeling software for grid-connected hybrid power projects, enables more detailed cost calculations. HOMER Grid 1.9 also facilitates setting utility tariffs. The new features allow energy professionals to complete more accurate cost and performance evaluations for a specific distributed energy project. Learn more at a Dec 7, 2022 HOMER Grid webinar.