CHANGELOG
A concise record of platform updates, highlighting improvements to stability, accuracy, and overall user experience across each release.
1.5.0 (2026-07-16)
HOMER Front 1.5 introduces a new optimization engine that significantly enhances how battery energy storage systems are modeled and optimized, whether deployed as standalone assets or within hybrid energy systems. Building on the proven foundation of version 1.4, the new engine delivers improved optimization quality, performance, and modeling transparency while maintaining the intuitive workflows users rely on. By evaluating every feasible dispatch action and state-of-charge level at each timestep, it deterministically identifies the globally optimal solution across all available energy and ancillary service markets. Combined with expanded market capabilities, more accurate modeling of real-world operating constraints, and extensive improvements to reporting, usability, and reliability, version 1.5 provides a more robust, consistent, and trustworthy foundation for developing and evaluating complex energy storage projects.
New Features:
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Introduced bidirectional regulation market support
Storage systems can now participate in both upward and downward regulation markets, enabling more realistic market participation and improved revenue optimization. -
Added probability of winning regulation market auctions
Supports more realistic revenue modeling by accounting for the likelihood of market award outcomes. -
Added support for separate energy market price strip imports
Energy prices can now be imported independently, providing greater flexibility when configuring market data. -
Introduced Project Library folder structure
Projects can now be organized into folders, making it easier to manage large project libraries. -
Added support for selecting the Legacy Optimizer
Users can now easily switch between the legacy and new optimization engines for comparison and validation purposes. -
Added support for additional European regulation markets
Expands market modeling capabilities for EU regulation settlement scenarios. -
Added configurable imperfect forecast quality inputs
Enables more realistic simulation of forecast uncertainty for renewable generation.
Optimization Engine Improvements:
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Significantly improved optimization accuracy across battery operation, energy balancing, and market participation.
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Improved battery charging, discharging, and state-of-charge behavior
Resolves numerous edge cases to better reflect realistic storage operation throughout the project lifetime. -
Improved degradation, augmentation, and throughput calculations
Battery degradation, augmentation timing, equivalent cycles, throughput, and state-of-health calculations now produce more accurate long-term results. -
Improved renewable energy dispatch and storage interactions
Enhances charging behavior from renewable generation while improving energy allocation across multiple markets. -
Improved revenue and cashflow calculations
Financial outputs now align more closely across optimization results, detailed results, summary reports, and exports. -
Improved market prioritization and dispatch decisions
Better handling of Time-of-Delivery obligations, regulation markets, resource adequacy, and energy arbitrage produces more realistic optimization outcomes. -
Improved grid import and export modeling
Corrects several edge cases affecting grid purchases, sales, import/export limits, and charging configurations.
Data Accuracy & Reporting:
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Improved storage cycle cost calculations and presentation
Cycle costs are now calculated and displayed consistently throughout the application, including storage summaries. -
Improved Excel export reliability and completeness
Detailed results exports are now more reliable and include all expected datasets. -
Improved consistency across time series, summary reports, and exported data
Financial metrics, operational values, and market revenues now remain aligned throughout the platform. -
Improved handling of TOD timestamps and pricing
Time-of-Delivery timestamps, export pricing, obligation ordering, and capacity pricing have been refined for greater reporting accuracy. -
Improved reporting of battery performance metrics
Equivalent cycles, effective full cycles, throughput, energy balances, storage losses, opportunity costs, and component revenues now display consistently.
Workflow & UX Improvements:
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Introduced a refreshed login experience
Updated visuals provide a cleaner and more modern authentication workflow. -
Simplified project management actions
Streamlined project menus improve day-to-day navigation and reduce unnecessary actions. -
Improved project duplication workflows
Copied projects now remain within their current folders and provide clearer user feedback. -
Enhanced project loading experience
Added loading indicators during navigation and improved responsiveness throughout the project library. -
Improved validation across market configurations
Additional validation helps prevent incomplete or inconsistent market configurations before optimization. -
Improved tooltips, help text, and in-app guidance
Expanded documentation and clearer descriptions make advanced configuration options easier to understand. -
Improved alignment and consistency across input forms
Small usability refinements create a more polished and predictable interface.
Platform & Infrastructure:
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Updated Climate Data Service integration
Improves reliability and maintainability of climate data processing. -
Improved project sharing for trial users
Project collaboration workflows now behave more consistently across account types. -
Enhanced user library messaging and sample project experience
Clearer guidance helps users onboard and troubleshoot library operations more effectively. -
Updated the in-app changelog experience
Release notes are now easier to access directly within the application.
Stability & Reliability:
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Improved stability across optimization workflows
Numerous engine refinements increase consistency across early-stage, late-stage, and complex multi-market projects. -
Enhanced handling of custom battery configurations
Improves reliability when working with contracted storage capacities, standalone BESS projects, and custom storage definitions. -
Improved support for large and complex project scenarios
Better handling of multi-market, multi-resource, and multi-year projects increases simulation robustness. -
Delivered extensive bug fixes throughout the optimization engine and user interface
This release resolves a large number of issues affecting modeling accuracy, reporting consistency, workflow efficiency, and platform reliability.
1.4.11 (2026-06-08)
Data Accuracy & Calculations:
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Improved degradation curve processing for guaranteed models User-defined degradation curves are now applied more consistently during calculations.
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Improved TOD time series processing Corrected timestamp handling to ensure time-of-delivery calculations align with expected intervals.
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Improved COD representation in cashflow reporting Financial outputs now present commercial operation date information more accurately.
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Improved augmentation state-of-health calculations Corrected the default value used for State of Health limit calculations to better reflect configured assumptions.
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Improved TOD shortage reporting TOD shortfall metrics are now calculated and displayed consistently.
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Improved financial reporting consistency Resolved discrepancies between Financial Summary results and Revenue Summary reporting.
Workflow & UX Improvements:
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Improved project year labeling in cashflow views Project years are now displayed more clearly and accurately throughout cashflow reporting.
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Improved unit consistency across exports Exported storage results now use the correct unit conversions for clearer interpretation.
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Improved handling of wind resource imports Prevents incorrect value interpretation when importing wind time series from comma-decimal CSV files.
Bug Fixes:
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Corrected unusual large-value behavior in RegUp/RegDown capacity commitments Results now reflect expected committed capacity values.
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Fixed issues affecting project upgrade paths from older framework versions Ensures smoother migration and compatibility for existing projects.
1.4.10 (2026-04-10)
New Features:
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Introduced Capacity Utilization Factor (CUF) metrics
Adds new performance indicators to better evaluate asset utilization and operational efficiency. -
Added currency conversion support
Enables financial results to be viewed and analyzed across different currencies, improving flexibility for global projects. -
Introduced optional normalization for PV and wind time series
Users can now choose whether to normalize renewable generation data, providing greater control over modeling assumptions.
Workflow & UX Improvements:
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Improved Excel export experience with asynchronous processing
Exports now run in the background with notification support, reducing wait times and improving usability for large datasets. -
Enhanced Excel reporting with Revenue Breakdown by Technology
Provides clearer financial insights for post-processing and analysis. -
Introduced Navigator Help overlay and updated documentation links
In-app guidance and updated links to the latest manual improve onboarding and day-to-day usability. -
Improved consistency of UI elements and controls
Standardized button behavior and input handling create a more predictable and streamlined user experience. -
Clarified allocation inputs and tooltips
Improved labeling, input behavior, and unit visibility (e.g., MW) reduce ambiguity and configuration errors. -
Improved visibility into losses modeling inputs
Users can now better understand which losses are included, supporting more transparent configuration.
Stability & Reliability:
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Improved persistence of grid import/export time series when switching project stages
Prevents unintended resets when moving between early and late stage analyses. -
Enhanced handling of multi-year and multi-file time series inputs
Improves reliability when working with complex datasets spanning multiple years. -
Improved handling of non-zero import/export values
Ensures correct interpretation and use of grid constraints in simulations.
Data Accuracy & Calculations:
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Improved grid charging behavior
Ensures grid charges are only applied when enabled, aligning results with user configuration. -
Improved alignment between time series visualizations and exported data
Ensures consistency between UI results and downloaded outputs. -
Improved handling of opportunity cost calculations
Removed duplicate and irrelevant opportunity cost entries for PV, wind, and storage components. -
Improved BESS OPEX calculations for multi-year configurations
Prevents zero-value outputs caused by incorrect handling of dedicated converters. -
Improved tariff editing behavior
Ensures ratchet values display and function correctly.
Bug Fixes:
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Fixed issues with storage capacity default values and input types
Inputs now correctly reflect allocation types and expected formats. -
Fixed inconsistencies in time series export data
Exported datasets now accurately match modeled results. -
Fixed handling of grid export/import limits
Reintroduced single export limit option and improved consistency across configurations. -
Fixed issues with resource time series graph labeling
Ensures correct and consistent unit labeling in charts.
1.4.9 (2026-03-25)
Workflow & UX Improvements:
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Improved navigation with version visibility and external resource links
The navigation bar now includes the platform version and a direct link to Windnavigator, helping streamline wind data import workflows. -
Improved clarity of user inputs for market allocations
Input handling and labeling have been refined to make allocation configuration more intuitive and reduce user error. -
Enhanced messaging for expired licenses
Users now receive clearer and more accurate notifications, improving transparency and reducing confusion. -
Improved tooltip clarity and unit visibility
Tooltips now explicitly display units (e.g., MW), ensuring better understanding of grid import/export constraints and timeseries data.
Data Accuracy & Reporting:
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Enhanced Excel export with Revenue Breakdown by Technology
Provides more detailed financial insights, making downstream analysis and reporting easier. -
Improved alignment between time series visualizations and exported results
Ensures consistency between on-screen data and downloaded outputs. -
Improved handling of sensitivity-related exports
Excel outputs now better reflect projects with sensitivities, improving accuracy and usability. -
Standardized units and formatting across UI and exports
Creates a more consistent and predictable experience when working with financial and operational data.
Stability & Reliability:
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Improved grid import/export behavior across workflows
Grid charge settings now consistently follow user configurations, ensuring expected system behavior. -
Enhanced persistence of grid limits and multi-timeseries configurations
Improves reliability when working with complex scenarios involving multiple files or varying grid constraints. -
Improved stability when switching between project stages
Transitions between early and late stage analyses are now more reliable and consistent.
Bug Fixes:
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Improved handling of grid charges during battery charging from grid
Ensures charges are applied correctly based on user-defined settings. -
Fixed inconsistencies in timeseries export data
Exported data now accurately reflects modeled results. -
Improved input behavior based on allocation type
Input fields now adapt correctly, reducing configuration errors. -
Set default values for contracted storage capacity as percentages
Aligns defaults with expected input formats for easier configuration.
1.4.8 (2026-03-06)
Data Accuracy & Results:
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Corrected summary graph unit display
Summary graphs now display the correct unit ($/MWh), improving clarity and preventing confusion caused by the previously duplicated unit label. -
Improved sensitivity results output by specifying allocation headers
Allocation headers are now clearly defined in sensitivity analysis results, making exported data easier to interpret and analyze.
Workflow & UX Improvements:
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Improved naming consistency for downloaded storage components
Exported storage data now retains the correct project-defined names instead of reverting to default labels. -
Improved precision in storage capacity display
The storage selector now preserves decimal values for battery capacity in the detailed view, ensuring more accurate representation of configured system sizes. -
Added display names for PV time series inputs
PV time series data now includes clearer display names, helping users more easily identify and manage datasets within projects.
Stability & Reliability:
- Improved compatibility for detailed results loading in Chrome
Project detailed results now load reliably in Chrome, ensuring consistent access to analysis outputs across supported browsers.
1.4.7 (2026-02-14)
Stability & Reliability:
- Improved overall platform stability and consistency
Targeted refinements enhance system robustness and reduce the likelihood of unexpected interruptions during analysis and reporting.
Data Accuracy & Calculations:
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Improved alignment of financial and operational calculations
Enhancements ensure results remain consistent across dashboards, time series views, and exports, strengthening confidence in reported metrics. -
Improved handling of edge-case scenarios in optimization workflows
Refinements help maintain reliable outputs across a wider range of project configurations.
Workflow & UX Improvements:
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Improved responsiveness across key configuration and results views
Users should experience smoother interactions when navigating complex analyses. -
Enhanced clarity of validation and system messaging
Updated messaging helps users identify and resolve input issues more efficiently.
Performance & Exports:
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Improved reliability of data export workflows
Export processes are now more dependable, reducing the risk of incomplete or stalled downloads. -
Enhanced formatting consistency in generated reports
Financial outputs now display with improved readability and standardized presentation.
1.4.6 (2026-01-28)
New Features:
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Multi-year wind and solar production modeling
Supports multi-year time series inputs for wind and solar resources, allowing users to capture inter-annual weather variability. This improves the accuracy of charging opportunities and revenue projections for co-located renewable assets. -
Year-specific capacity payment modeling
Enables capacity prices to vary by year, supporting non-linear pricing changes driven by auction outcomes or policy shifts. This provides a more realistic view of long-term profitability compared to simple price escalation. -
Multi-year interconnection and curtailment limits
Allows interconnection constraints and curtailment assumptions to change over time, reflecting grid upgrades, congestion, or policy changes. This ensures export limits and associated revenues are modeled more accurately across the project lifetime. -
Yearly variability in Time-of-Delivery (ToD) prices and obligations
Introduces support for year-by-year changes in ToD pricing structures and obligations, enabling more accurate dispatch optimization and arbitrage strategies as market conditions evolve.
Stability & Reliability:
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Improved handling of BESS guaranteed model results
Ensures consistent and correct results across combined component configurations and reporting views. -
Enhanced platform reliability through staging and release alignment updates
Regular merges and hotfix integrations reduce divergence between environments and improve release stability.
Bug Fixes:
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Fixed missing shortage penalty in results
Shortage penalties are now correctly applied and reflected in outputs. -
Fixed TOD shortfalls scaling issue
TOD shortfall values are no longer incorrectly divided by 1,000, ensuring accurate reporting. -
Fixed project lifetime not being reflected in TOD calculations
TOD results now correctly align with the configured project lifetime. -
Fixed opportunity cost not displayed when grid charging is disabled
Opportunity cost values are now shown consistently across relevant configurations. -
Fixed old project graphs not displaying in TOD market
Restores visibility of historical project data in TOD-related charts. -
Fixed multi-year interconnection limits overriding existing project values
Existing project configurations are now preserved correctly when applying multi-year settings. -
Fixed revenue tab Excel export showing the same year repeatedly
Exported Excel files now correctly reflect year-by-year revenue data. -
Fixed money-type formatting issues in Excel exports
Improves numerical readability and consistency in exported financial reports. -
Fixed incorrect results display for BESS guaranteed degradation combinations
Ensures all relevant component combinations are accurately represented. -
Fixed missing results on the Powering Health website
Restores proper result visibility for affected analyses. -
Fixed TOD market graphs for legacy projects
Ensures charts render correctly for older project configurations.
Workflow & UX Improvements:
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Improved error messaging for PV and wind configurations
Clearer feedback helps users identify and resolve setup issues more quickly. -
Fixed regulation down edit and time series popup controls
Restores expected interaction behavior in configuration and visualization workflows. -
Applied cosmetic improvements to TOD views and configuration screens
Improves visual clarity and usability without altering underlying behavior.
1.4.5 (2026-01-14)
Stability & Reliability:
- Improved handling of PV degradation in early analysis workflows
PV degradation is now correctly disabled during early analysis to prevent unintended impacts on preliminary results.
Bug Fixes:
- Fixed Guaranteed Degradation results display for multi-battery projects
All battery results are now shown correctly in the Sensitivity and Optimization tables, instead of only the first battery, ensuring complete and accurate reporting for complex storage configurations.
1.4.4 (2025-12-23)
Stability & Reliability:
- Improved overall system stability and export reliability
These updates reduce the risk of stalled processes and improve consistency across data import and export workflows.
Bug Fixes:
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Fixed CSV import issues when “use comma as decimal point” is enabled
Numeric values containing periods are now parsed correctly, preventing decimals from being dropped and values from being imported as large integers. This fix applies across energy markets, regulation markets, capacity markets, TOD, and wind time series imports. -
Resolved Excel export timeouts from optimization results
Excel exports now complete successfully, ensuring files download as expected without indefinite loading states. -
Fixed incorrect BESS guaranteed revenue reporting
Market revenues for guaranteed models now align with the Revenue and Cashflow tab, ensuring consistent values across time series views and Excel exports.
1.4.3 (2025-12-15)
Stability & Reliability:
- We resolved project execution crashes caused by the Augmentation Disable setting
This reduces unexpected failures and improves overall runtime stability when running projects.
Workflow & UX Improvements:
- Updated legend positioning for Summary and Time Series charts
Legends are now displayed at the bottom-center and ordered horizontally for easier reading and more consistent interpretation.
Bug Fixes:
- Fixed incorrect time series legend rendering
This ensures legends behave consistently across chart views and align with the updated visualization layout.
1.4.2 (2025-12-03)
Bug Fixes:
- Fixed a mismatch in TOD (Time of Delivery) revenue values between optimization results and detailed results
This ensures revenue calculations are consistent.
1.4.1 (2025-12-01)
Stability & Reliability:
- Improved overall platform stability
General reliability enhancements reduce the likelihood of unexpected interruptions during execution.
Bug Fixes:
- Fixed outdated replacement cost values
Ensures replacement cost calculations now reflect current and accurate values in the storage library.