The above grid connection configuration and the energy mix portfolio are characterized by each tool through the performance metrics tabulated in the table below. The table also highlights the performance metric/s that are being minimized or maximized to arrive at the optimal energy mix. All of the tools have economic cost as an objective. However, Calliope, DER-CAM, iHOGA, and REM are capable of multi-objective optimization. This means that other factors such as emissions and social cost of unmet load are minimized together with the economic cost. In Calliope, the total cost that is minimized consists of the weighted sum of the economic cost and the emission cost. In DER-CAM and iHOGA multi-objective optimization, it is possible to have multiple solutions where the user can select based on a reasonable trade-off between the performance metrics that are being optimized.
| Software Tool | Performance Metrics, Objective/s | ||
| Calliope | Objectives: Total Cost, Emissions | ||
| Capital Cost | Cost of fuel | Capacity Factor per technology | |
| O&M Cost | Demand Not Met | Foot print | |
| Levelized cost per technology | Fuel consumption | ||
| DER-CAM | Objectives: Total Annualized Cost, Emissions | ||
| Capital Cost | Fuel consumption | Energy purchased and sold to the grid | |
| O&M Cost | Capacity Shortage curtailment | Capacity Factor per technology | |
| CoE | Total Energy produced | Renewable fraction | |
| Cost of fuel | Total Energy consumed | Foot print | |
| Demand Not Met | Payback | ||
| HOMER | Objective: Net Present Cost | ||
| Capital Cost | Simple Payback | Energy purchased and sold to the grid | |
| O&M Cost | Discounted Payback | Capacity Factor per technology | |
| CoE | Demand Not Met | Renewable fraction | |
| Cost of fuel | Fuel consumption | MRP (Maximum Renewable Penetration) in a year | |
| Present Worth | Capacity Shortage curtailment | Foot print | |
| Annual Worth | Total Energy produced | Emissions | |
| ROI | Total Energy consumed | ||
| IRR | Excess of electricity | ||
| Weight | |||
| iHOGA | Objectives: Net Present Cost, Unmet Load Emissions, Human Development Index (HDI) | ||
| Jobs Created | |||
| Capital Cost | Simple Payback | Energy purchased and sold to the grid | |
| O&M Cost | Discounted Payback | Capacity Factor per technology | |
| CoE | Debt Payments | Renewable fraction | |
| Levelized cost of energy | Demand Not Met | MRP (Maximum Renewable Penetration) in a year | |
| Cost of fuel | Fuel consumption | Foot print | |
| Present Worth | Total Energy produced | Weight | |
| Annual Worth | Total Energy consumed | ||
| ROI | Excess of electricity | ||
| IRR | |||
| REM | Objectives: Annualized Cost, Social Cost of Unserved Energy | ||
| Capital Cost | Management Cost | Emissions | |
| O&M Cost |
Some of the software tools are open-source where the source code is available to the public. However, open-source also means a higher learning curve compared to the other tools. For example, building the model in Calliope is text-based and the user has to be familiar with the syntax and the keywords. Some tools do not have publicly available source code but the software is free to use as in the case of DER-CAM. But this can also mean that the support and functionality may be limited. HOMER and iHOGA have free and commercial versions.
| Software Tool | Built-in Sensitivity Analysis | API | Availability |
| Calliope | Scenario analysis | Programmable | Open-source |
| DER-CAM | none | In beta mode | Free |
| HOMER | Sensitivity Analysis | only for control strategies | Commercial with free trial |
| iHOGA | Sensitivity Analysis | none | Commercial with free education version |
| REM | Sensitivity Analysis | – | for collaboration, for commercialization |
Cuesta, M. A., T. Castillo-Calzadilla, and C. E. Borges. "A critical analysis on hybrid renewable energy modeling tools: An emerging opportunity to include social indicators to optimise systems in small communities." Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews 122 (2020): 109691.
[1] Ciller, Pedro, et al. "Optimal electrification planning incorporating on-and off-grid technologies: the Reference Electrification Model (REM)." Proceedings of the IEEE 107.9 (2019): 1872-1905.
[1] https://calliope.readthedocs.io/en/stable/user/introduction.html