Anchor Power Solutions Releases EnCompass 3.0
The latest version of EnCompass Power Planning Software includes significant new features for resource planning, price forecasting, and budgeting.
Anchor Power Solutions is pleased to announce the release of EnCompass 3.0, which includes significant new features for power system modeling and optimization. This version, representing the culmination of releases made during 2017 in response to client requests, provides even more capabilities for resource planning, market price forecasting, risk analysis, and budgeting.
Capacity Expansion & Environmental Compliance
In addition to new generation projects, EnCompass can now optimize the selection of zonal transmission projects, plant decommissioning, and conversions of existing resources (for emissions reductions, combined cycle repowering, and other improvements). Constraints for project selection can now include monthly reserve margin targets, maximum economic retirements, and complex constraints such as dependencies and exclusivity. The banking of emission allowances and renewable energy credits for future use now recognizes expiration dates in accordance with certain state regulations.
Unit Commitment & Dispatch Constraints
EnCompass 3.0 includes operating constraints that define the number of units within a group of resources that must be committed and online, which can vary based on the load within a balancing authority. Unit starts and shutdowns can also be restricted by time of day, which can represent contractual limitations or physical constraints based on noise, emissions, or staffing levels. Complex nomograms can be imposed as a linear combination of transmission flows, local generation, and load requirements. Minimum and maximum fuel limits can now be enforced at multiple delivery points, and individual resources can also have minimum and maximum weekly energy limits defined. Dependency constraints ensure that the more efficient use of the incremental turbines in combined cycle configurations (2×1, 3×1, etc.) can only be made when the required base turbines are online and dispatched. And hydro modeling can now include proportional load following ratios with dispatch operating ranges to better represent how resources are scheduled and re-dispatched, particularly in the WECC.
Ancillary Services
Requirements and capabilities for operating and regulating reserves were expanded in EnCompass 3.0. Operating reserves, with both a spinning and non-spinning component, can now be defined using a combination of load ratios, generation ratios, and direct inputs. Resource capabilities can be automatically determined for regulation and spinning based on response times (in minutes) and ramp up/down rates. The maximum percentage share of regulation can be used to force multiple resources to simultaneously contribute to up and down requirements, minimizing risk in case of outages. And each resource’s contribution to spinning reserve requirements can be limited to a percentage of capacity or ratio of actual spinning reserves, reflecting market rules for simple cycle turbines and demand response programs.
Energy Storage
For storage resources such as pumped hydro, compressed air, and batteries, EnCompass can now enforce minimum storage levels, which would typically be used to model actual operations to minimize risk. EnCompass 3.0 also now recognizes batteries as having dedicated storage for each individual unit, as opposed to pumped hydro and compressed air which often share storage across multiple generating units. Also, contributions toward operating and regulating up reserves is now limited based on the amount of energy currently in storage.
Computing Performance
EnCompass 3.0 includes several breakthroughs on performance, most notably the ability to parallel process simulations across months or Monte Carlo draws, even on a single desktop computer. Maintenance schedules are now optimized with respect to reliability standards within seconds. Additional options include the ability to round up capital projects from a fast partial optimization, and determining unit commitment schedules using aggregated hours while performing dispatch on an hourly or sub-hourly basis.
For market price forecasting, a complete database of US and Canadian markets is available for EnCompass 3.0. Developed and supported by Horizons Energy, this database includes proprietary fuel forecasts and new technology costs that can be used to developer power prices across multiple scenarios.
The EnCompass software and market databases are owned, licensed, developed, and supported by industry professionals that are dedicated to providing outstanding support, insight, and innovation in the field of power market forecasting and planning. For more information, or to request a trial version of the software, please contact Anchor Power Solutions.