INTEGRATED RESOURCE PLANNING
Develop a resource plan that considers all potential options
Achieve reliability and environmental requirements in the most cost-effective manner
MORE CAPABILITIES TO EVALUATE NEW TECHNOLOGIES
Determine the best way to utilize resources, which technologies should be added in the future, and which existing resources should be converted or retired.
INTEGRATED RESOURCE PLANNING
Electric utilities are faced with increasing complexity in power supply planning. It can be demanding to balance reliability requirements and environmental compliance in the most cost-effective manner.
With EnCompass you can develop a resource plan that considers all potential options including central station construction, purchased power agreements, renewable energy, bulk storage, new transmission projects, energy efficiency programs, and demand response.
IRP Capacity Report including tables and charts that show annual results for new capacity, retirements, resource mix, capital and production costs, reserve margins, and market prices
CAPITAL PROJECTS
Capital Project calculations include detailed specifications for the operating life and constraints of adding new resources. Project financing parameters incorporate assumptions on capital expenditures, debt, taxes, return on equity, property taxes, insurance, and unregulated versus rate base financing.
The selection of new capital projects and existing resource conversions and retirements is optimized using Mixed Integer Programming. The optimization may span multiple years or be broken up into yearly overlapping segments. Multiple least-cost plans, each one unique up to a specified year within the simulation period, may be generated, ranked, and selected for further analysis. Using the structured scenario approach in EnCompass, users can apply results from a Capital Project optimization in multiple child scenarios, where they can evaluate a more detailed simulation with the new capacity mix.
BUILT FOR UNIFICATION AND TRANSPARENCY
EnCompass has the most complete set of functions in the industry for modeling complex environmental programs such as carbon limits and overlapping renewable portfolio standards.
By combining the program limits with capital project optimization, EnCompass determines the best combination of new unit additions, retrofits, and retirements to meet a complex array of environmental regulations.
ENVIRONMENTAL COMPLIANCE
Resources can be part of any number of programs, which may be annual or seasonal mass-based emission allowance programs, rate-based emission programs, or generation-based renewable energy credits. Rate-based emission programs may also include designated renewable and energy efficiency resources, which produce emission rate credits that can be used to offset fossil fuel generators.
Price forecasts for these allowances and credits may be directly input into EnCompass, or annual program limits can be enforced, which will also produce allowance or credit prices. Each program may also include a bank that allows for over-compliance in early years to offset tighter limits in later years. A penalty price for exceeding annual limits acts as a reliability safety valve so that allowances or credits can be borrowed from future years under extreme conditions.
BETTER SOLUTIONS
MORE OPERATIONAL DETAIL
DYNAMIC RENEWABLE AND LIMITED STORAGE FIRM CAPACITY
The effective load carrying capability (ELCC) of intermittent resources (e.g., wind and solar) and limited energy storage (e.g., lithium-ion batteries) tends to decline as more capacity is added, and in some cases will reach 0 once a tipping point is reached.
EnCompass allows for multiple incremental ELCC curves to be defined for any group of resources. The capacity expansion logic in EnCompass will use these curves as part of the economic decision for selecting a resource plan. The average realized ELCC is then applied to all resources within the group for reserve margin contribution and capacity valuation purposes.
EnCompass maintains reliability by dynamically reducing the firm capacity for incremental renewables and storage as more projects are added
Request Demo
Discover applications and features that will help you do your job better, faster.
30 Day Free Trial
Easily explore EnCompass capabilities. We set up the software with your data.
Fast Implementation
Implementation is smooth and fast. Start building better models right away.
Powerful modeling capabilities to help you do your job better and faster
HOW UTILITIES APPLY ENCOMPASS POWER PLANNING CAPABILITIES
Arizona Electric Power Cooperative, Inc., Uses EnCompass for Integrated Resource Planning
EnCompass analyzes hundreds of resource combinations to recommend lowest-cost resource portfolios that satisfy the peak demand obligations of the Cooperative load.
EnCompass Environmental Programs Report
EnCompass features a Capital Costs report that shows detailed annual capital costs for potential projects, including depreciation, taxes, interest, and targeted return on equity
