NSF-PIRE US-Denmark Renewable Energy Program

August 2015

Power system modeling tutorial with HOMER

I. Use HOMER energy software to model a wind-diesel off-grid power system in the
Galapagos. It is recommended that you download1 and use the legacy version of the
software for this tutorial.

II. Consult the reference paper2 and the following guidelines through this tutorial.
1. Build your system schematics by adding power sources and primary load.
2. Enter load details. Import the Galapagos_Load.dmd time series data file.
3. Enter diesel generators inputs.
low generator capital cost ($500/kW)
Replacement cost = capital cost
Operation and maintenance cost 1.2 $/h.
Leave default lifetime and min load ratio values (15,000h , 30%)
4. Enter wind turbine inputs
Turbine specs: refer to Homer Wind Resource.xlsx file.
Turbine lifetime 22.5 years.
Capital cost $4,100/kW
Replacement cost = capital cost
Operation and Maintenance cost 500 $/yr.
5. Enter wind resource details
Use wind speed monthly averages from Homer Wind Resource.xlsx
Assume wind data anemometer height 25m
6. Enter diesel resource details
Diesel price: 0.245 $/l (subsidized)
7. Economic inputs
Interest rate 8.5%
Project lifetime 15 years
Set the rest of the parameters to 0.
8. Other inputs leave system control, emissions and constraints parameters at
Homers default values.

1http://www.homerenergy.com/HOMER_legacy.html
2Kornbluth, Kurt, et al. "Optimizing Wind Energy for a Small Hybrid Wind/Diesel Grid in the
Galapagos Islands." University of California, Davis Energy Efficiency Centre (2009).
 NSF-PIRE US-Denmark Renewable Energy Program
August 2015

III. Run your model and answer the following for the optimum system configuration.
What is the levelized cost of electricity?
What is the renewable fraction of the system?

IV. Conduct a sensitivity analysis of two or more of the following:

+/- 10% increment in average wind speed.
Change from subsidized cost of diesel ($0.245/liter) to unsubsidized cost of
diesel ($0.670/liter)
Change project lifetime from 15 to 25 years.
Change discount rate from 8.5% to 6%.

V. Perform a parametric study:

Under Constraints window, increase the minimum renewable fraction to 80%.
What error, if any, do you observe? What is the minimum fraction needed for
the model to successfully run?
What methods can you use to satisfy the constraint of 80% minimum renewable
fraction? Note that there are multiple ways of achieving this. What is the
levelized cost of electricity of your solution?