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DOE OSTI · 2502091

Advances on CHP District Energy and Microgrids Deployment: Simplified Tool for Rapidly Deploying Feasibility Analytics for the Non-Technical User (Final Technical Report)

Gamarra, Carlos [Houston Advanced Research Center (HARC), Woodlands, TX (United States)] (ORCID:0000000165165509)
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Abstract

Community energy systems have proven to have the potential to improve cost efficiency, resilience, and decarbonize. However, investing in community energy systems such as community microgrids or district energy systems is a complex decision due to the high initial investment and the uncertainties associated with the long development time and lifecycle of the project. Tools that make feasibility assessments accessible to non-technical users like investors, policymakers, and other stakeholders will result in more feasibility analyses completed, more candidate projects identified, and more community energy systems deployed. The pilot tool developed under this award is named Energy Fellow. Energy Fellow allows technical and non-technical users to complete feasibility analyses for district energy systems and community microgrids. This is the first software tool of its kind designed for non-technical users and available at no cost. Its scope was adjusted to a 25x25-mile region within the Houston area in Texas to make its development compatible with the funding available. However, the findings and models developed make this pilot tool easily scalable to the US. The lessons learned during the design, implementation, and testing stages have helped find trade-off solutions to software and hardware challenges related to implementing 3D models in online tools. Green software strategies has been successfully applied to the design and operations of the tool, and the team has researched the aspects of the (non-technical) user experience that will make commercial developments of this tool even more impactful.

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29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATION42 ENGINEERING97 MATHEMATICS AND COMPUTINGCommunity Energy SystemsDigital TwinDistrict EnergyFeasibilityGreen SoftwareMicrogridsNon-technical UsersOptimizationPlanning

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Gamarra, Carlos [Houston Advanced Research Center (HARC), Woodlands, TX (United States)] (ORCID:0000000165165509). 2024-12-31. Advances on CHP District Energy and Microgrids Deployment: Simplified Tool for Rapidly Deploying Feasibility Analytics for the Non-Technical User (Final Technical Report). https://doi.org/10.2172/2502091

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