Softwr

Energy & Utilities · head to head

HOMER Energy vs NAPA

HOMER Energy logo

HOMER Energy

Energy & Utilities

Microgrid and distributed energy optimization software

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
NAPA logo

NAPA

Maritime & Shipping

Ship design and operational excellence

From
$5000/year
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only HOMER Energy has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: HOMER Energy now owned by UL Solutions rather than being independent; NAPA the Internet Archive's capture of NAPA's homepage on 1 January 2020 named six distinct maritime software products, NAPA Loading Computer, NAPA Emergency Computer, NAPA Logbook, NAPA Fleet Intelligence, NAPA Voyage Optimization and ClassNK-NAPA GREEN, with no price figure published for any.
  • They diverge on capability: HOMER Energy covers Microgrid optimization, NAPA covers Ship design.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which HOMER Energy and NAPA actually diverge.

Attributes where HOMER Energy and NAPA differ
AttributeHOMER EnergyNAPA
Starting priceFree$5000/year
Pricing modelsubscriptionone-time
Free tierYesNo
CategoryEnergy & UtilitiesMaritime & Shipping
Founded20091989

Identical on both: platforms (Windows, Web), user rating (Not yet rated).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in HOMER Energy

  • Microgrid optimization
  • Techno-economic analysis
  • Component library
  • Sensitivity analysis
  • Energy storage sizing
  • Renewable integration
  • Load profile analysis
  • Financial modeling

Only in NAPA

  • Ship design
  • Stability calculation
  • Voyage optimization
  • Performance monitoring
  • CAD systems
  • Fleet management
  • Weather routing

Both cover

  • Windows support
  • Web support

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

HOMER Energy

  • Sizing and optimising off-grid and microgrid systemsnot NAPA
  • Modelling the economics of solar, wind and battery combinationsnot NAPA
  • Electric bill optimisation for grid-connected sites and EV chargingnot NAPA
  • Utility-scale storage investment analysisnot NAPA
  • Comparing least-cost configurations against load and resource datanot NAPA

NAPA

No use cases recorded yet. See the NAPA review.

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

HOMER Energy

  • Now owned by UL Solutions rather than being independent
  • Split into three separate products, HOMER Pro for off-grid and microgrids, HOMER Grid for bill optimisation and HOMER Front for utility-scale, so the right one depends on project type
  • Pricing is not shown on the product pages

NAPA

  • The Internet Archive's capture of NAPA's homepage on 1 January 2020 named six distinct maritime software products, NAPA Loading Computer, NAPA Emergency Computer, NAPA Logbook, NAPA Fleet Intelligence, NAPA Voyage Optimization and ClassNK-NAPA GREEN, with no price figure published for any.

Pricing, plan by plan

HOMER Energy

Free
  • HOMER GridFree
    • Grid-connected optimization
    • Basic components
    • Limited simulations
  • HOMER Pro$1500/year
    • Advanced optimization
    • All components
    • Unlimited simulations
  • Enterprise$undefined/year
    • Multi-user licenses
    • API access
    • Custom modules

NAPA

$5000/year
  • Fleet Intelligence$15000/year
    • Voyage optimization
    • Performance monitoring
    • Analytics

Which should you pick?

Choose HOMER Energy if

  • You need microgrid optimization.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Windows, Web.
  • You also want techno-economic analysis.
HOMER Energy review

Choose NAPA if

  • You need ship design.
  • You work on Windows, Web.
  • You also want stability calculation.
NAPA review

Questions people ask

Is HOMER Energy or NAPA better?
Neither clearly leads. HOMER Energy starts at Free and NAPA at $5000/year, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, HOMER Energy or NAPA?
HOMER Energy has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for HOMER Energy and $5000/year for NAPA.
Does HOMER Energy or NAPA run on more platforms?
Both run on Windows, Web, so platform support will not decide this one for you.
Can I use HOMER Energy for free?
Yes. HOMER Energy has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. NAPA starts at $5000/year.
What is HOMER Energy best used for?
HOMER Energy is most often used for sizing and optimising off-grid and microgrid systems, modelling the economics of solar, wind and battery combinations, electric bill optimisation for grid-connected sites and ev charging, utility-scale storage investment analysis. Of those, sizing and optimising off-grid and microgrid systems and modelling the economics of solar, wind and battery combinations are not what NAPA is typically brought in for.
What can HOMER Energy do that NAPA cannot?
HOMER Energy covers Microgrid optimization, Techno-economic analysis, Component library, Sensitivity analysis. NAPA covers Ship design, Stability calculation, Voyage optimization, Performance monitoring. Both handle Windows support, Web support.
ShareXLinkedInRedditWhatsAppEmail

Related pages

More on HOMER Energy

More on NAPA

Keep looking

Other head to heads