California Utilities Plan Shutoffs to Forestall 2019 Fire Disasters

Reeling from several years of catastrophic wildfires and the financial losses that are looming in their wake, California utilities have a new strategy for dealing with fire risk: shutting off the electricity. The plan targets populations in high-risk fire zones – which include much of the state – and creates worrisome risk for vulnerable populations. MIcrogrids would improve resilience and soften the blow of power cuts.

Learning from Western Australia: A geography made for microgrids

With its massive land area, thinly scattered population and resource-based economy, Western Australia has always been challenged to maintain an electric grid that covers long distances under harsh environmental conditions. Utilities are discovering that hybrid renewable microgrids can be cheaper than the upkeep on such a sprawling electrical empire, and the state’s government is listening:

Multi-year Features of HOMER Grid Software Can Help Solar+Storage Developers Predict Financial Impacts of Utility Tariff Increases

Experts and new users of the HOMER Grid software are driving enhancements that will enable more powerful and accurate modeling of grid-tied distributed energy systems. Released today, the new version of HOMER Grid for optimizing behind-the-meter distributed generation features a new Multiyear Analysis function that calculates impacts of future changes like utility price increases and load growth:

Locating Pittsburgh Microgrids for Climate Resilience and Calculating their Value

A University of Pittsburgh economist who specializes in analyzing the financial risk of climate impacts is working on calculating the value of microgrids to help provide greater resilience in cities. She’s using spacial techniques to determine where microgrids should be located to provide maximum service, and she’s using HOMER Pro calculate a cost-benefit analysis:

2019 Community Power Scorecard

The Institute for Local Self-Reliance has released its “Community Power Scorecard,” an assessment of state policies that encourage clean local energy development. The top ranking states, in order, are Massachusetts, California, New York and Illinois. Not surprisingly, these same states are also moving ahead rapidly with other renewable energy initiatives including storage incentives and policies that facilitate the development of microgrids.

India’s Microgrid Market: Ready for Takeoff

India is a leader in renewable energy among developing countries and recently completed the world’s largest solar park. But beyond utility-scale installations, India is also working on a plan to build 10,000 microgrids to deliver energy access to the millions of people who still don’t have it. It’s no surprise that – of over 190 countries – India is also HOMER Energy’s second largest user base:

Energy Future: Diverse, Decentralized, Distributed, Decarbonized, Democratized, and Digitized.

We are in the midst of a critical paradigm shift as our energy system evolves from a centralized power plant model to a complex array of smaller, distributed energy networks that incorporate multiple – primarily renewable – technologies. Driven by the new cost advantages of renewable energy, as well as an urgent need to reduce our carbon emissions, these changes are upending century-old beliefs about how energy should be produced and distributed. HOMER Energy CEO and co-founder Dr. Peter Lilienthal explains the new principles that should guide our energy decisions:

Optimizing Energy Savings for Grid-Connected Hybrid Systems with HOMER Grid Webinar Recording

Join HOMER Energy COO, Marilyn Walker, and Product Manager, Steffi Klawiter, for an educational webinar to show you the power of HOMER Grid. Walk through the new and improved HOMER Grid to learn how you can calculate savings through energy arbitrage and demand charge reduction. With vastly expanded customization options and thousands of new tariffs to model with, HOMER Grid gives you the power to design your grid-connected distributed energy system with confidence.

Santa Cruz Solar Company Moves Off the Grid, Using HOMER Pro to Design New Microgrid

Sandbar Solar, a Northern California solar developer and contractor, has unveiled a new microgrid that will power its newly constructed corporate headquarters in the middle of the city of Santa Cruz, one of the few projects of its kind in the US. The islanded off-grid electricity system, which was modeled using HOMER Pro, is designed to serve the solar installer’s complete electricity needs:

Navigant Report: Blockchain Establishes Secure Foundation for Distributed Energy

A new Navigant report concludes that blockchain technology will play an important role in the management and improved security of distributed energy. Characterized by decentralization, a growing number of diverse, interconnected resources, and the increasing use of digital technologies, distributed energy needs a framework for improved cyber security at both the network and device level, says Navigant Research.

Improving Energy Access in Rural Africa Depends on Renewable Energy Microgrids

African countries are making rapid progress in adopting renewable energy and in fact, it is developing countries that are now leading the global transition to clean energy. However, energy access in Africa is still a huge problem for two thirds of the population, mostly for people who live in rural areas. The good news is that renewable energy microgrids are the fastest, most cost-effective path to electrification. That’s why several African countries have ambitious plans to expand microgrid investment