Keeling Curve

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Project Summary / Description:

The HOMER software was originally developed as part of the Village Power Program at the U.S. Dept. of Energy National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), a project designed to improve energy access and provide renewable alternatives to diesel-powered systems and poor quality electric grids in developing countries. The program supported sustainable economic development and pathways to democratic, politically stable societies.

HOMER Energy licensed the software from NREL in 2009, and has continued to provide increasingly powerful energy modeling tools for renewable systems that reduce costs, lower financial risk, and improve the efficiency of the design process.

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Best Estimate of GHG Avoidance/Reduction of This Project (Tonnes CO2 Equivalent/Year):

Impact on Underrepresented Groups:

Access to electricity is of fundamental importance in promoting economic opportunity and options for women. The HOMER software (and related services) provides a critical platform for economically viable energy access options. Helping communities replace fossil fuels (diesel generators) with financially sustainable renewable energy also reduces fuel costs and pollution, and improves quality of life. These changes in turn provide remote communities in developing countries with critical benefits that derive from clean electricity. These range from affordable energy that powers small, income-generating businesses, to increased security and the provision of important government services such as education and healthcare. Such changes can allow rural economies to evolve beyond mere subsistence. However, if not properly managed, it is possible for new electricity resources to exacerbate economic inequality in these communities, so this transition must be carefully managed.

Women and children shoulder most of the burden of manual labor in developing country communities, and are critical beneficiaries of new electricity resources. For instance, the installation of pumps can replace the manual fetching of water, and electricity can replace the the gathering and use of fuel wood. Eventually we may see electricity used to reduce some of the dangerous pollution from indoor cookstoves, more likely to affect women and girls.

Finally, clean electricity can benefit poor, uneducated populations by providing lighting, a basic resource that allows school children to study in the evenings and reach their full academic potential. It is also essential for the development of small businesses that support female entrepreneurs (using sewing machines or small power tools for example).

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Mission Statement:

HOMER Energy supports the growth of distributed renewable energy systems by providing energy modeling software (HOMER = Hybrid Optimization of Multiple Energy Resources),. We also provide training, consulting, and industry leadership. We help communities access electricity and transition from diesel-based energy and unreliable electric grids to cost-effective, renewable energy microgrids or mini-grids. With a customer base spanning 190 countries, the company‚ flagship software, HOMER Pro has become the global standard for microgrid design analysis and feasibility studies.

By effectively simulating and optimizing hybrid renewable power systems, HOMER tools lower financial risk and improve technical outcomes by allowing energy developers to model and compare the engineering and financial performance of different system configurations.