FAQ

In the list below, you can find answers to the most frequently asked questions about energyPRO.
If you cannot find the answer to your question here, you are always welcome to contact us at energyPRO@emd.dk

What type of energy systems can be modelled in energyPRO?

In energyPRO virtually any type of energy system can be modelled. Besides the many predefined production units, such as CHP, solar collectors, heat pump, absorption chiller, etc., it is also possible set up user defined units. The flexible configuration allows you to model any type of technology with just the level of detail you require – from simple input/output models to very complex function based models.
As an inspiration you can check out our project examples here

What kind of analyses can I do in energyPRO?

In energyPRO you can perform a long range of different energy system analyses. Amongst other things the software enables you to:

  • Calculate the optimal operation of an energy plant
  • Make detailed investment analyses
  • Set up operation budgets for energy plants
  • Model industrial cogeneration and trigeneration
  • Simulate energy plants participating on different electricity markets
  • Conduct feasibility studies
  • Analyze the interaction between separate energy plants
  • Define a strategic energy plan

 

Furthermore, a wide range of both technical and economic reports is available in energyPRO. All results can be exported to a spreadsheet application.

What is the price of energyPRO?

You can find a complete price list here. You are also welcome to contact our sales department at sales@emd.dk

How do I download and install energyPRO?

You can download a free demo version of energyPRO here.
Follow the steps in the how-to-guide: Installation and registration of energyPRO

How do I activate an unregistered demo version of energyPRO?

In order to activate an unregistered demo version of energyPRO, you need an active license. If you do not have an active license you can order one here or contact our sales department at sales@emd.dk. If you already have an active license, follow the steps in the how-to-guide: Installation and registration of energyPRO

Which modules do I need?

Which modules you need depends on the energy system you wish to model. Below is a short overview of the different modules:

DESIGN is the basic module, which is required to carry out any calculations in energyPRO. With this module, you can analyze one year’s energy production and the operation costs of heat, cooling and power plants.

The FINANCE module is the basic module for financial calculations in energyPRO. With this module, you are able to make detailed calculations for an unlimited number of years, including long-term investment analyses and feasibility studies. The module also allows you to specify investments, financing of projects and to add indexes, which can be applied to the development of e.g. a heat demand, gas prices, inflation or any other time series.

The ACCOUNTS module is an extension to FINANCE, which allows you to further detail the economic calculations including depreciation, income statements and balance sheets.
With the OPERATION module, you can perform a short term optimization of the operation. You need this module if you want to prepare a production plan for the coming weeks, days or hours.

You need the REGION module if you wish to model an energy system where there are transmission constraints between the production and consumption units in the system or if you wish to calculate the benefits of an amalgamation of two separate energy systems. The REGION module is also relevant if you are modelling a regional system with several distributed production units or demands.

With the INTERFACE module it is possible to make XML calls to energyPRO, which allows you to perform multiple repetitive calculations with varying parameters. This is particularly useful for conducting sensitivity analyses.

With the MARKETS module you have the possibility to add more than one electricity market in the same project and simulate authentic real life situations of market participation using gate closures. You can choose between fixed tariffs, day ahead market or regulating power market. You need the MARKETS module if you want to optimize the operation of units participating on several electricity markets.

With the COMPARE module, it is possible to create multiple alternatives in the same project file and easily compare the technical and economic results.

Find a full description of the different modules here. If you are still unsure about which modules you need, please contact us at energyPRO@emd.dk for further information.

Can I get a free trial or test license?

Contact us at energyPRO@emd.dk to request a test license.

Can I participate in training sessions or courses in energyPRO?

Yes, we arrange several open courses each year. See a list of the scheduled energyPRO courses here.
Besides the open courses we also arrange individual in-house courses. These courses can take place either at our offices in Aalborg, Denmark or at your offices. Contact us at energyPRO@emd.dk for more information.

What kind of support and maintenance is available?

The support and maintenance includes free updates of the software, which we continuously update with new features according to marked demand. It also covers hotline support by phone or e-mail about how to use the software and other relevant topics. Read more about support and maintenance here.

Where can I find examples of energyPRO models?

When installing energyPRO, a part of the installation contains a library of different project examples and country specific data sets such as weather data and electricity prices. The default directory for this library is C:\energyPRO Data\.

You can also find a description of some of the different project examples here.

What kind of results and reports can energyPRO generate?

There are a number of financial and technical reports available in energyPRO. The actual available reports are depending on which energyPRO module, that is selected, the types of energy demands in the project and the selected operation strategy.

Full list of the available technical reports:

  • Production, graphic
  • Production, carpets
  • Energy conversion, annual
  • Energy conversion, monthly
  • Duration curve for heat demand
  • Duration curve for cooling demand
  • Duration curve for electricity demand
  • Environment
  • Catalogue of Technical Assumptions
  • Graphical Layout

 

Full list of the available economic reports:

  • Cash Flow, monthly
  • Cash Flow, summary
  • Cash Flow, graphic
  • Operation Income
  • Financial Key Figures
  • Income Statement
  • Income Statement, summary
  • Balance Sheet
  • Balance Sheet, summary
  • Catalogue of Economic Assumptions
  • Operation Strategy Calculation
  • Production Plan

The financial reports are all in a standard format accepted by international banks and funding institutions.
All reports can be copied as data to other tools such as Microsoft Excel

What kind of data is available with energyPRO

As a part of the installation, a library with some country specific datasets is installed. The data includes electricity prices, weather data, project examples, etc. The default directory for this library is C:\energyPRO Data\.

In addition to this library, it is possible to access EMD’s online server with weather data through energyPRO. The server provides modelled weather data in a high-resolution grid, covering the whole world. The data originates from three different climate models. Read more about this data in the how-to-guide “Loading climate data from online database”.

Where do I find additional information about energyPRO?

You can read more about energyPRO in the User’s Guide or under Help in the program menu. Also check out our tutorial and how-to-guides here.