Optima 3 - Energy Optimal Software for Unit Size Optimization - Energy

Advantages with this function:

• Help for energy producers with pre-studies and safer investment planning.
• Suggestion for optimal size and operation.
• Find the best solution and economy for expansion of the existing energy system.

Investment Optimization is a new feature in Energy Optima 3.

This feature helps the user to determine the most optimal size/dimensioning of new units in the energy system.
As an example, imagine you were to build a new heat accumulator for the cogeneration plant, there are certain things to think of.

• A larger accumulator will require a high capital expenditure (investment).
• A large accumulator will also allow larger reductions in operational expenditures.
• What size of accumulator gives the best balance and lowest total cost?

With this new feature, Energy Optima 3 will help to find the perfect balance between capital and operational expenditures, minimizing total cost.
This feature is useful for companies in the planning of future developments of their energy system.

Investment scenario calculations are very valuable if you want to make changes to your energy system, but feel uncertain about which type of unit to install, which size and the economic effects.
Investment optimizations are set up for long-term calculations, as investments should always be evaluated over longer periods of time.

The optimizations for dimensioning of new units require that certain information is provided:

• Cost of investment [€/MW] for units, how expensive they are to build.
• Lifetime and Discount Rate for investments.
• Scenario data, such as future fuel and electricity prices.

This is an example of what Investment Optimization can look like. We have a hydrogen production system where we want to find the optimal size for our electrolyzer, hydrogen storage and electrical grid connection capacity.

• Electrolyzer: 28.75 MW
• Storage: 170.60 MWh
• Connection: 50.81 MW

Here the optimizer determines, given the provided information, that the most optimal configuration is 28.75 MW of electrolyzer capacity, 170.6 MWh of storage and 50.81 MW grid connection.

Investment optimizations identify optimal configurations of the energy system much faster than any trial-and-error process or Excel could.