Faced with a growing number of extreme weather events, new emissions mandates and the rising cost of energy, many businesses are considering integrating microgrids into their energy plans. By diversifying your energy mix through the use of renewables and battery storage, microgrids can provide reliable power and lower energy costs. But a microgrid is a significant investment and it’s critical that it be designed to achieve your desired objectives. This is why energy modeling is a critical first step to any microgrid project.
In this white paper, you’ll learn how energy modeling can be used to determine the best energy mix for your microgrid, as well as how big it needs to be to achieve your project goals. The paper focuses on techno-economic modeling, which uses the financial, environmental and technical inputs of a project in virtual simulations. The model evaluates hundreds of different scenarios to provide recommendations for the system’s design and implementation.
The paper covers why energy modeling is important, three key ways in which modeling can evaluate a project’s feasibility, and the inputs required to create a successful energy model.