Rezachek & Associates'
Energy & Environmental Resources

Utility Integration of Renewables

System Modeling/Simulation

Building Energy Tools Directory Information on more than 80 software tools--from research grade software to commercial products with thousands of users--including where you can get them.

QuickScreen Software for Distributed PV Evaluation The QuickScreen software package is a planning tool to quickly find the best distributed resource (DR) sites within a given electric utility and determine economic feasibility. It is targeted for utility personnel who make resource and distribution planning decisions. Regulators and analysts may also find it useful to make informed policy decisions.

RETScreen™ PROJECT ASSESSMENT TOOL The CANMET Energy Diversification Research Laboratory (CEDRL) is implementing a remote community renewable energy technologies (RETs) Project Assessment Initiative as part of Natural Resources Canada's Renewable Energy for Remote Communities (RERC) program. The program's objective has been defined as follows: "Help accelerate the deployment of renewable energy technologies (RETs) in Canada's remote communities by assisting key stakeholders with the selection and implementation of reliable and cost effective RET projects." The RETScreen™ Renewable Energy Technologies (RETs) project assessment tool. Here, you will find the online version of the RETScreen™ user manual, and you may download the pre-feasability analysis software. You can also order a hardcopy of the manual with the software available on diskette.

Solar Portfolio Standard Analysis SPS Beta Version 2.0 is a spreadsheet tool designed to investigate 5 different variations of the Arizona Solar Portfolio Standard (SPS). The costs, MW deployment schedule, and rate impacts of the different options are analyzed as a function of many user-changeable inputs including solar technology cost curves (high, medium, and low cases), technology performance via capacity factor, and economic parameters. Automated plotting and navigation are embedded in the spreadsheet.

SOMES 3.2: a Simulation and Optimization Model for Renewable Energy Systems The computer model SOMES, which has been developed at Utrecht University (The Netherlands), can simulate the performance of renewable energy systems. The energy system can comprise renewable energy sources (PV array and wind turbines), a motor generator, a grid, battery storage, and several types of converters. The schematic lay-out of the energy systems that can be simulated is shown in the figure. The time step of the simulation is one hour. An analysis of the results gives the technical and economic performance of the system and the reliability of the electricity supply.