一,HOMER : H" R; \$ ]' H1 |* H3 U4 \HOMER, the micropower optimization model, simplifies the task of evaluating designs of both off-grid and grid-connected power systems for a variety of applications. When you design a power system, you must make many decisions about the configuration of the system: What components does it make sense to include in the system design? How many and what size of each component should you use? The large number of technology options and the variation in technology costs and availability of energy resources make these decisions difficult. HOMER's optimization and sensitivity analysis algorithms make it easier to evaluate the many possible system configurations. 7 M5 s6 Z1 L& |2 Z: e YTo use HOMER, you provide the model with inputs, which describe technology options, component costs, and resource availability. HOMER uses these inputs to simulate different system configurations, or combinations of components, and generates results that you can view as a list of feasible configurations sorted by net present cost. HOMER also displays simulation results in a wide variety of tables and graphs that help you compare configurations and evaluate them on their economic and technical merits. You can export the tables and graphs for use in reports and presentations. 6 ], i; D( e, |2 u$ R1 CWhen you want to explore the effect that changes in factors such as resource availability and economic conditions might have on the cost-effectiveness of different system configurations, you can use the model to perform sensitivity analyses. To perform a sensitivity analysis, you provide HOMER with sensitivity values that describe a range of resource availability and component costs. HOMER simulates each system configuration over the range of values. You can use the results of a sensitivity analysis to identify the factors that have the greatest impact on the design and operation of a power system. You can also use HOMER sensitivity analysis results to answer general questions about technology options to inform planning and policy decisions.