Polaris Systems Optimization

Polaris provides advanced optimization-based decision support tools for planners and operators of electric power grids and other energy systems. Our goal is to support reliable and efficient integration of renewable energy sources such as wind and solar. Our main product is Power Systems Optimizer (PSO), an advanced power-system simulator for production-cost analysis and operational decision support. This dual role is required to accurately capture impacts that planning decisions have on grid operations, minimizing the risk that unanticipated operational challenges will be missed in the evaluation of new facilities and processes. Key features of PSO include: • Integrated “multi-cycle” representation of decision processes used in the control room; • Ability to optimize and simulate “recourse” and “non-recourse” decisions at each decision point in each cycle; • Quantitative assessment of impacts that imperfect forecasts have on operator decisions and the deployment of reliability services; • Efficient management of large amounts of forecast data, automatically matching each forecast to decision, allowing users to quickly assess the value of increased flexibility and improved forecasts. • Generalized reserve models that support new ancillary-service definitions. • Transparent and computationally efficient simulation that can be used to “play out” operational results from deployment of reserves to meet system variability and uncertainty. PSO removes the guesswork from impacts that new policies and investments have on future grid operations