Validated, Transparent, and Accessible Microgrid Valuation and Optimization Tool: EPRI DER-VET™

The Distributed Energy Resource Value Estimation Tool (DER-VET™) provides a free, publicly accessible, open-source platform for calculating, understanding, and optimizing the value of microgrids and distributed energy resources based on their technical merits and constraints. An extension of The Electric Power Research Institute’s 2016 Storage Value Estimation Tool (StorageVET®), DER-VET™ supports site-specific assessments of energy storage and additional DER technologies—including solar, wind, demand response, electric vehicle charging, internal combustion engines, and combined heat and power—in different configurations, such as microgrids. It uses load and other data to determine optimal size, duration, and other characteristics for maximizing benefits based on site conditions and the value that can be extracted from targeted use cases. Customers, developers, utilities, and regulators across the industry can apply this tool to inform project-level decisions based on a sound technical understanding and unbiased cost-performance data.