Webinar hosted on May 12, 2021 by the Center for Strategic Policy Innovation

On Wednesday, May 12, 2021, the Center for Strategic Policy Innovation hosted an hour-long webinar presented by experts from the Arizona State University's Laboratory for Energy and Power Solutions (LEAPS). This program focused on private-sector fee (or subscription)-based renewable energy/resiliency modeling tools, with a special emphasis on the XENDEE program (and Homer), including how such private sector modeling tools might assist or supplement NREL’s SAM and REopt tools. This webinar was the second of a three-part series of training sessions designed to help cities and counties (and local NGOs) develop, in-house within their local government entities, some preliminary siting, feasibility, and modeling capabilities for local solar PV and microgrid projects.

Arizona State University’s Laboratory for Energy and Power Solutions (LEAPS) is the primary training partner for XENDEE and uses the XENDEE platform to teach energy system planning, design, financing, and operational concepts to over 100+ industry professionals, veterans, and students a year. In this second webinar session, Dr. Nathan Johnson, the Director of LEAPS, gave an overview of LEAPS and discussed the importance of modeling in decision-making for the rapidly changing global energy sector. Next, Dr. James Nelson, the Director of Technology and Innovation of LEAPS, introduced the XENDEE Microgrid Decision Support System and how it can be used for techno-economic modeling of energy systems and microgrids to achieve cost savings and resilience goals. Dr. Nelson presented attendees with a flow chart, showing the renewable energy feasibility study and modeling process, and provided a brief comparison of the XENDEE tool (and the private sector Homer program) with NREL's SAM and REopt tools. This was followed by a presentation from Dr. Samantha Janko, the Managing Director of LEAPS, discussing renewable energy workforce training/development efforts and how to gain access to these efforts.