Validation of the nPro calculation results

More than 500 companies in the energy sector already rely on nPro - engineering firms, municipal utilities, energy suppliers, consulting and contracting companies alike. This broad, daily use is one of the reasons why we trust our calculations: errors are noticed quickly, and for the central calculation steps we have documented the validation in additional detail:

Can I trust the results of nPro?

Yes - and for good reason, not just because we say so. If you use nPro to take responsibility for a district heating design on behalf of a client, to prepare an investment decision or to support a funding application, you carry the responsibility for the result. That is why we set out openly what this trust is based on:

1. Broad practical use: nPro is used daily by numerous companies (approx. 150 active users per day). The high number of simulations ensures that calculation errors are noticed quickly and that software quality improves continuously.
2. Ongoing testing and validation: We test and validate the calculation results on an ongoing basis. Many critical calculation steps can be validated in great detail against real data, for example generation profiles for solar thermal, photovoltaics or PVT.
3. Transparent modelling approaches: Wherever possible, we use simple, comprehensible calculation models that do not require complex validation. For example, the boiler model is based at its core on a simple energy balance.
4. Traceability of the results: The software displays intermediate results in as much detail as possible, so that you can follow every calculation step and every assumption yourself - important when you have to defend results to clients, committees or funding bodies.
5. Transparent handling of errors: We publish known software errors transparently on our website and fix them promptly or immediately, depending on their severity. In the case of critical errors, we actively inform affected users.

How were the calculation models validated?

Many calculation steps in nPro have been validated against established tools or standards, including energyPRO. Simulation steps that cannot be validated directly have been tested extensively and checked for plausibility in various ways. The models validated particularly thoroughly include:

• Generation profiles for solar thermal
• Photovoltaics
• PVT
• Building demand simulation
• Pipe network sizing and heat loss calculation

The design optimization has also been compared with the design decisions of external engineers. An objective full validation is not possible here, because the “true” techno-economic optimum of real systems is not mathematically well defined - this applies to every planning tool, not just to nPro.

Have the results been compared with real projects?

Yes. We have compared the simulation results for numerous real projects - in some cases completely, in others selectively - with real measured and operating data. By its nature, this validation process is ongoing and is continuously extended in order to further improve the accuracy of the simulations.

What does this mean in practice for your work?

• Municipal utilities: Sound economic calculations for investment decisions and supervisory boards, plus comprehensible assumptions for communication with policymakers and the public.
• Engineering firms: Traceable intermediate results and disclosed model limitations, so that you can defend design results to your clients on technical grounds.
• Energy suppliers: Validated generation and demand profiles as a basis for investment and expansion decisions in the thermal network.
• Consultants: A transparent methodology with which you can substantiate recommendations to clients and funding bodies.

Tutorials and training videos

You can find all videos on the nPro tool on our YouTube channel. The videos include tutorials on the nPro tool as well as general explanatory videos on district energy solutions and 5GDHC networks.