URBANopt REopt Gem

The URBANopt^™ REopt Gem extends URBANopt::Reporting::DefaultReports::ScenarioReport and URBANopt::Reporting::DefaultReports::FeatureReport with the ability to derive cost-optimal distributed energy resource (DER) technology sizes and annual dispatch strageties via the REopt decision support platform. REopt is a technoeconomic model which leverages mixed integer linear programming to identify the cost-optimal sizing of solar PV, Wind, Storage and/or diesel generation given an electric load profile, a utility rate tariff and other technoeconomic parameters. See https://developer.nrel.gov/docs/energy-optimization/reopt/v2/ for more detailed information on input parameters and default assumptions.

See the example project for more infomation about usage of this gem.

Note: this module requires an API Key from the NREL Developer Network

RDoc Documentation

Installation

See https://docs.urbanopt.net/installation/installation.html for instructions on prerequiste software, including:

• Ruby 2.2.6
• Bundler 1.17.0
• OpenStudio 2.8.1

Add this line to your application's Gemfile:

gem 'urbanopt-reopt'

And then execute:

$ bundle install
$ bundle update

Or install it yourself as:

$ gem install 'urbanopt-reopt'

Functionality

This gem is used to call the REopt API on a Scenario Report or Feature Report to update the object's Distributed Generation attributes (including system financial and sizing metrics) as shown in an example below:

	"distributed_generation": {
	      "lcc": 100000000.0,
	      "npv": 10000000.0,
	      "year_one_energy_cost_before_tax": 7000000.0,
	      "year_one_demand_cost_before_tax": 3000000.0,
	      "year_one_bill_before_tax": 10000000.0,
	      "lifecycle_energy_cost_after_tax": 70000000.0,
	      "solar_pv": {
	        "size_kw": 30000.0
	      },
	      "wind": {
	        "size_kw": 0.0
	      },
	      "generator": {
	        "size_kw": 0.0
	      },
	      "storage": {
	        "size_kw": 2000.0,
	        "size_kwh": 5000.0
	      }
	    }

Moreover, the following optimal dispatch fields are added to its timeseries CSV. Where no system component is recommended the dispatch will be all zero (i.e. if no solar PV is recommended ElectricityProduced:PV:Total will be always be zero)

output	unit
ElectricityProduced:Total	kWh
Electricity:Load:Total	kWh
Electricity:Grid:ToLoad	kWh
Electricity:Grid:ToBattery	kWh
Electricity:Storage:ToLoad	kWh
Electricity:Storage:ToGrid	kWh
Electricity:Storage:StateOfCharge	kWh
ElectricityProduced:Generator:Total	kWh
ElectricityProduced:Generator:ToBattery	kWh
ElectricityProduced:Generator:ToLoad	kWh
ElectricityProduced:Generator:ToGrid	kWh
ElectricityProduced:PV:Total	kWh
ElectricityProduced:PV:ToBattery	kWh
ElectricityProduced:PV:ToLoad	kWh
ElectricityProduced:PV:ToGrid	kWh
ElectricityProduced:Wind:Total	kWh
ElectricityProduced:Wind:ToBattery	kWh
ElectricityProduced:Wind:ToLoad	kWh
ElectricityProduced:Wind:ToGrid	kWh

The REopt has default values for all non-required input parameters that are used unless the user specifies custom assumptions. See https://developer.nrel.gov/docs/energy-optimization/reopt/v2/ for more detailed information on input parameters and default assumptions.

Note: Required attributes for a REopt run include latitude and longitude. If no utility rate is specified in your REopt assumption settings, then a constant default rate of $0.13 is assumed without demand charges. Also, by default, only solar PV and storage are considered in the analysis (i.e. Wind and Generators are excluded from consideration).

Getting Started

The code below shows how to run the REopt API on a single Feature Report hash using this gem:

require 'urbanopt/reopt'
#Load a Feature Report Hash
feature_reports_hash = {} # <insert a Feature Report hash here>

#Create a Feature Report
feature_report = URBANopt::Reporting::DefaultReports::FeatureReport.new(feature_reports_hash)

#Specify a file name where REopt results will be written in JSON format
reopt_output_file = File.join(feature_report.directory_name, 'feature_report_reopt_run1.json')

#Specify a file name where the new timeseries CSV will be written after REopt has determined cost optimal dispatch
timeseries_output_file = File.join(feature_report.directory_name, 'feature_report_timeseries1.csv')

#Specify non-default REopt assumptions, saved in JSON format, to be used in calling the API
reopt_assumptions_file = File.join(File.dirname(__FILE__), '../files/reopt_assumptions_basic.json')

#Create a REopt Post Processor to call the API, note you will need a Developer.nrel.gov API key in this step
reopt_post_processor = URBANopt::REopt::REoptPostProcessor.new(nil, nil, nil, DEVELOPER_NREL_KEY)

#Call REopt with the post processor to update the feature's distributed generation attributes and timeseries CSV.
updated_feature_report = reopt_post_processor.run_feature_report(feature_report,reopt_assumptions_file,reopt_output_file,timeseries_output_file)

More commonly, this gem can be used to run REopt a collection of features stored in a Scenario Report as show here:

require 'urbanopt/reopt'
#Create a Scenario Report
scenario_report = URBANopt::Reporting::DefaultReports::ScenarioReport.new({:directory_name => File.join(File.dirname(__FILE__), '../run/example_scenario'), :timeseries_csv => {:path => File.join(File.dirname(__FILE__), '../run/example_scenario/timeseries.csv') }})

#Load Feature Reports into the Scenario Report
(1..2).each do |i|
  feature_reports_path = File.join(File.dirname(__FILE__), "../run/example_scenario/#{i}/010_default_feature_reports/default_feature_reports.json")

  feature_reports_hash = nil
  File.open(feature_reports_path, 'r') do |file|
    feature_reports_hash = JSON.parse(file.read, symbolize_names: true)
  end

  feature_report = URBANopt::Reporting::DefaultReports::FeatureReport.new(feature_reports_hash)

  feature_report_dir = File.join(File.dirname(__FILE__), "../run/example_scenario/#{i}")
  feature_report.directory_name = feature_report_dir

  scenario_report.add_feature_report(feature_report)
end

#Specify non-default REopt assumptions, saved in JSON format, to be used in calling the API
reopt_assumptions_file = File.join(File.dirname(__FILE__), '../files/reopt_assumptions_basic.json')

#Create a REopt Post Processor to call the API, note you will need a Developer.nrel.gov API key in this step
reopt_post_processor = URBANopt::REopt::REoptPostProcessor.new(scenario_report, reopt_assumptions_file, nil, DEVELOPER_NREL_KEY)

#Call REopt with the post processor once on the sceanrio's aggregated load to update the scenario's distributed generation attributes and timeseries CSV.
updated_scenario_report = reopt_post_processor.run_scenario_report(scenario_report)

Testing

First, check out the repository (i.e. git clone this repo).

Next, obtain a developer.nrel.gov API key from the NREL Developer Network. Copy and paste your key in to the developer_nrel_key.rb file then save the file:

DEVELOPER_NREL_KEY = '<insert your key here>'

Finally, execute:

$ bundle install
$ bundle update
$ bundle exec rake

Releasing

• Update change log
• Update version in /lib/urbanopt/reopt/version.rb
• Merge down to master
• run rake release from master