Aurora 15: Energy Modeling with PLEXOS Cloud

As most are aware, the energy world is going through a massive transition. Energy providers are moving away from hydrocarbons and toward renewables, but doing so in a sensible, manageable way is difficult. That's where Aurora comes in. Aurora specializes in providing analytical and predictive tools for the energy sector, enabling companies to navigate this transition more effectively. Its long-term planning tools help with making the best possible build decisions. Aurora is easy to learn and fast at generating results to optimize workload.

Aurora 15 on PLEXOS Cloud

The launch of Aurora 15 marks a milestone update. In addition to added modeling and usability improvements, Aurora 15 allows users to take advantage of all the benefits of running simulations in the cloud by leveraging the well established PLEXOS Cloud infrastructure - Aurora simulations are run using an Aurora modeling engine in the cloud environment. This frees clients from having to maintain their own high-powered modeling hardware. It provides computing flexibility, so more modeling resources are available when deadlines are looming. It also provides teams with a central repository for their Aurora studies for easier collaboration and reliable change control. Best of all, since these simulations run on cloud, Aurora users get access to the same mature, reliable and secure cloud environment that our PLEXOS users do.

What Sets Aurora Apart

Aurora provides a friendly desktop environment that makes it easy to run long term capacity expansion simulations. It’s specifically designed to help make decisions in the North American energy market. Aurora’s desktop application seamlessly integrates with PLEXOS Cloud. Aurora users can easily run cases they’ve already set up on the desktop on the cloud, and results from cloud simulations can be viewed and analyzed with the same helpful tools as local Aurora output.

User Experiences

Since Aurora 15 launched in beta form, we’ve had five clients evaluate running their simulations on PLEXOS Cloud. Responses have been very positive. One client found that after a few days of fine tuning, their simulations were finished in a few hours instead of the standard three days it took to complete their simulations locally.

Select Aurora clients have already logged tens of thousands of hours of simulation time on PLEXOS Cloud. The platform is solid, mature, and it is meeting the growing needs of our clients.

Key Enhancements Provided by Aurora 15 on PLEXOS Cloud

• Flexible Computing Resources – Computing cores are available for running simulations on demand, as needed. They’re scalable so that when more power is needed to get results done in time, it’s available.
• Project Version Management – Aurora projects saved to PLEXOS Cloud have version tracking turned on, so it’s easy to note what changed. And, output generated by simulations is saved to long term storage so it can be retrieved anytime in the future.
• Better Team Collaboration – Analysts on a team can easily work together with the same projects that have been uploaded to the cloud. This eliminates the need for shared storage on a network or a VPN for the team to work together.
• Control Over the Aurora Engine Version – Because the Aurora engine version is selected when starting a PLEXOS Cloud simulation, users can be sure they’ll get consistent results. Additionally, there’s no need to install different versions of Aurora on the desktop to test different versions of the engine. Just pick the desired engine for the simulation and get consistent results.
• Better Stability – Because Aurora simulations are running in the cloud, there’s no longer a need to worry about machines rebooting or crashing and losing days of simulation time. In fact, once a simulation is started in Aurora on PLEXOS cloud, the on-premises machine that started it can be completely powered down and the simulation will run to completion.
• Solver Choice – Choose to run projects with Mosek or Gurobi when executing in the cloud. No local license is needed for Gurobi to utilize this solver for cloud simulations.

Cloud Transition

As some of our clients transition to Aurora on PLEXOS Cloud to take advantage of the added benefits, the Energy Exemplar team works closely with each customer, ensuring a smooth and efficient migration process. We are dedicated to providing a supportive experience that minimizes disruption and maximizes the value of the cloud capabilities for our users.

Ready to experience the power of Aurora 15 and streamline your energy modeling process? Contact our expert team now for the future of energy simulation.