Anchor Power Solutions Releases EnCompass 4.0
The latest version of EnCompass Power Planning Software includes new features for integrating renewable energy, dual fuel co-firing, and resource planning.
Anchor Power Solutions is pleased to announce the release of EnCompass 4.0, which adds significant capabilities to the modeling platform that is being rapidly adopted by utilities for resource planning and production cost forecasting. This release represents the next step forward in planning for renewable energy integration and emissions compliance.
Renewable Energy Integration
Ancillary services are one of the most important considerations for integrating large amounts of renewable energy, and EnCompass has expanded its capabilities to reflect this. Supplemental reserve requirements in both up and down directions can be specified, with resource capabilities determined by ramp rates and response times, as well as an offline component. These reserves are co-optimized with the other ancillary service requirements for operating reserves (spinning and non-spinning) and regulating reserves (both up and down) to ensure the least-cost use of resources that maintain flexibility for changing weather conditions.
EnCompass can limit the total amount of solar firm capacity within a balancing authority as a percentage of its peak load. This allows the capacity expansion to recognize that adding additional solar beyond a certain point can no longer reduce the net peak load once that net peak occurs in the early evening when load is relatively high and the sun is no longer shining.
When storage resources are full, export transmission limits are hit, and renewables and must-take energy still exceed load, EnCompass curtails the excess generation and reports the total amount on a monthly and annual basis. Curtailment groups are used to determine the order in which resources are backed down, and whether or not purchased power costs are incurred on curtailed energy.
Dual Fuel Co-Firing
For coal units that have the ability to co-fire alternative fuels such as natural gas or biomass, EnCompass allows the blending of those fuels to be set based on dispatch loading levels. For example, operation below a certain output may only be possible when burning 100% gas, or increasing output to maximum capacity may only be possible when burning mostly coal.
Alternative dispatch modes may also be defined so that other operating parameters such as ramp rates, variable O&M costs, and fuel handling costs may be different when burning 100% coal or co-firing with other fuels. EnCompass will determine which mode to operate in for each interval (hour) based on overall economics. These alternative dispatch modes may also be used to define different operating modes when operating emissions reduction equipment.
About Anchor Power Solutions
Anchor Power Solutions provides planning software and consulting services for the power industry with a focus on market price forecasting, economic transmission analysis, integrated resource planning, budgeting, and risk analysis. Anchor Power Solutions developed EnCompass Software to accomplish all these functions in a single, easy-to-use system. For a custom demonstration, contact info@anchor-power.com.