Besides the help pages on this website, Youtube videos are available. A manual does not yet exist. We are currently working on expanding the documentation.

+ Is a manual available for the software? – Is a manual available for the software?

No, there is currently no manual available. Documentation can be found on the help pages and in the form of Youtube-Videos.

+ Why should I use nPro? Why not use any other simulation software? – Why should I use nPro? Why not use any other simulation software?

Users of nPro like that with nPro they can calculate energy concepts for districts and buildings very easily and quickly. In particular, calculating district energy systems is often complex as a variety of different buildings need to be considered individually. This is usually not possible in other simulation tools. Additionally, many different supply scenarios can be calculated with nPro and directly compared with each other. The goal of nPro is therefore to reduce the workload for preliminary planning and to select the right energy concept from the multitude of different options. With other simulation programs, the time required to calculate the same systems is often many times higher. However, the benefit of very detailed simulations in the early planning phase is low, as many fundamental constraints are usually unknown in this planning stage and frequently change.

+ For whom is nPro suitable? And for whom not? – For whom is nPro suitable? And for whom not?

nPro is often used in the concept or early planning phase of buildings and districts. Especially when conditions frequently change, it makes sense to use a flexible tool like nPro to quickly and easily calculate various supply scenarios. Therefore, nPro is used by energy utility companies, municipal utilities, and engineering companies. Currently, nPro does not cover detailed hydraulic simulations. This means that if you want to calculate pressure losses for hydraulic systems in detail, you still need to resort to other software tools specialized in network simulation. Additionally, for testing custom control logics for already planned systems, nPro is only suitable to a limited extent.

+ How can I test nPro (demo licence)? – How can I test nPro (demo licence)?

You can test nPro for free with a demo license for 3 weeks. After the trial period expires, access to your user account will be deactivated (no costs are incurred).
If you would like to test nPro for several months on a pilot project, feel free to contact us, and we will provide you with a customized offer.

Application areas of nPro

+ Can nPro also be used for the calculation of individual buildings? – Can nPro also be used for the calculation of individual buildings?

Yes, nPro can be used not only for districts but also for building planning. However, it's important to note that the demand profiles generated with nPro are not stochastical, and therefore may not accurately represent the demands of individual small buildings. In this case, you have the option to upload your own demand profiles.

+ Can nPro also be used at the city or regional level? – Can nPro also be used at the city or regional level?

Yes, nPro can also be used for the calculation of larger systems such as districts, cities, or regions, as long as the energy exchange between the technologies can be considered ideal, i.e., for example, losses in the power grid are negligible. This allows nPro to be used for feasibility studies, to determine the solar thermal potential, or to assess what proportion of the heat demand in an area could be covered by solar thermal, geothermal, or wastewater heat. Buildings can be entered into the software as groups, making it possible to quickly model a large building stock. However, at present, nPro does not cover detailed hydraulic simulations of large, meshed district heating networks for investigating network hydraulics.

+ Can I use nPro for municipal heat planning? – Can I use nPro for municipal heat planning?

Yes, because in municipal heat planning, recommendations are made for the energy supply of districts. nPro can be used to determine the ideal supply concept for a district and which potentials (PV, solar thermal, etc.) can be used to meet the energy demands of a district.

+ Can I conduct feasibility studies with nPro? – Can I conduct feasibility studies with nPro?

Yes, nPro can be used perfectly for feasibility studies. From the generation of load profiles, the heat network calculation and design of the energy hubs (energy centers) to the calculation of economic efficiency and a scenario comparison, many essential calculation steps of a feasibility study can be conducted within nPro.

+ What level of detail does the heat network calculation offer? – What level of detail does the heat network calculation offer?

nPro uses a quasi-static calculation approach with an hourly resolution for network calculation. This is usually sufficient for the detailed calculation of heat network losses. However, nPro does not yet support a transient thermo-hydraulic network simulation, in which pressure losses can be analyzed with time. This problem becomes relevant in very complex systems during detailed technical planning.

+ Can meshed networks be simulated? – Can meshed networks be simulated?

Yes, practically all heat network types can be calculated in nPro.

+ Is it possible to create a georeferenced network in the tool? – Is it possible to create a georeferenced network in the tool?

No, at the moment the heating network cannot yet be visualised on a geographical map. However, the integration of this function is already planned for one of the next tool versions.

Load profile calculation

+ Where do the demand data and standard load profiles come from? – Where do the demand data and standard load profiles come from?

The day load profiles for the different building types originate from individual research work. A variety of sources were evaluated for this purpose, e.g.

Leitfaden Energienutzungsplan Bayern (Germany)
Bekanntmachung der Regeln für Energieverbrauchswerte und der Vergleichswerte im Nichtwohngebäudebestand (April 2015, Germany)
SIA 2024 (Switzerland)
VDI 3807 Sheet 2 (Germany)

and many other individual sources and studies. The standard load profiles also originate from very diverse sources, for example the reference load profiles from the German VDEW. In addition, we used other studies and freely available datasets, such as studies on electrical load profiles, and conducted our own analyses, such as the evaluation of presence profiles from Google.

+ How are the load profiles calculated (method)? – How are the load profiles calculated (method)?

The generation of demand profiles for space heating (and cooling) is mainly based on the degree-day method, assuming a linear relationship between heat demand and outdoor air temperature. The tool offers several approaches to calculate the profile depending on user inputs. Specifically for nPro, an approach was developed that allows for the generation of a tailored profile based on peak load (kW) and annual heat demand (MWh), which matches exactly both demand parameters. In this process, the degrees of freedom of the degree-day approach (heating limit temperature, etc.) are optimized to align peak load and annual demand with the user inputs. This can be particularly interesting for buildings for which billing or metering data is already available and an appropriate annual profile needs to be generated. For domestic hot water, process cooling, user electricity (plug loads), and e-mobility, seasonal profiles are superimposed with day profiles to create an overall annual profile.

+ Can I upload my own load profiles? – Can I upload my own load profiles?

Yes, if you already have load profiles for a specific type of energy demand (e.g., domestic hot water), you can upload them directly into nPro using the import function (e.g., copy & paste from Excel). nPro can handle different time resolutions in this process. You can learn more about the upload function here.

+ What time resolutions does nPro support? – What time resolutions does nPro support?

All calculation models in nPro are based on an hourly resolution. This cannot be changed, and a 15-minute resolution is not selectable. However, when importing time series, nPro supports a variety of different time resolutions: daily values, hourly values, 15-minute values, and many more. You can find a detailed overview here.

+ How are simultaneity factors taken into account for multiple buildings? – How are simultaneity factors taken into account for multiple buildings?

The demand profiles generated by nPro are based on standard load profiles for specific building types. These standard load profiles already take into account a certain level of simultaneity and the fact that multiple buildings are simulated as a group within a district. The generated load profiles are therefore not stochastical. Specifically, this means that the profiles do not precisely represent the actual load profile of a single small residential building, but they do accurately depict the aggregated load profile of a larger group of buildings. For the use of nPro, this means that in most cases, an additional diversity factor does not need to be considered in the calculation. The specification of a diversity factor in the tool is relevant in cases where the maximum load (peak load) is already known through other estimations and one wants to modify the calculated load profile in nPro to match this specific maximum load.

Your question is not answered? Please feel free to contact our technical support at We look forward to helping you!

Energy hub and design optimization

+ Why does adding a heat storage not reduce the capacity of a heat pump? – Why does adding a heat storage not reduce the capacity of a heat pump?

In the design calculation in nPro, the generation units are typically sized so that the maximum load can be covered by the generation units without using storages. This means that if the maximum heating load is 100 kW, in the case of a biomass and a gas boiler, their capacity would be dimensioned that the sum of their capacities is (at least) as high as the heating load. The reason for this is that with a conservative design, one does not want to rely on the storage being charged at the time of the maximum heating load. However, especially with heat pumps, it can be beneficial to use the heat storage for peak load coverage. This can be implemented in nPro by disabling the option of "Conservative system design" in the settings of the design calculation.

+ What are design days? – What are design days?

The design optimization in nPro is based on so called "design days". This means that specific days are identified that represent the year as accurately as possible. nPro typically uses up to 60 design days for the calculation, depending on the energy system. By using design days, the computational effort is reduced, resulting in shorter simulation times. For very complex energy systems, such as those with seasonal storages, it may be advisable to manually set the number of design days to a high value, for example, 100. The maximum number of design days is 365. With 365 design days, the entire year would be represented one-to-one, providing the most accurate design calculation. However, using 365 typical days is generally not recommended due to potentially long computation times and is only necessary for very specific scenarios. Please note that in contrast to the design optimization (1st calculation step), the system simulation (2nd calculation step) is always based on the full hourly resolution (365 days with 8760 time steps) without using desin days.

+ Can I use my own custom component models for heat pumps or boilers, for example? – Can I use my own custom component models for heat pumps or boilers, for example?

Yes, for certain technologies, custom component models can be used. Currently, this is possible for heat pumps, solar thermal collectors, and PVT collectors. For all other technologies, the general model parameters (e.g. the electric or thermal efficiency of a CHP unit) can be adjusted for a specific use case.

+ Can I consider a variable electricity price profile? – Can I consider a variable electricity price profile?

Yes, you can upload time-resolved electricity price profiles in the settings of the electricity grid. These will then be taken into account on an hourly basis in the optimization calculation. The same is possible for feed-in tariffs for electricity and specific CO₂ emissions for imported or exported electricity.

+ How does the design optimization work? – How does the design optimization work?

In the design optimization, the systems are sized so that the selected objective function (usually total annualized costs) are minimized. Theses total annualized costs (also called "life cycle costs") are calculated according to the net present value method. The optimization calculation is based on a mathematical optimization model, either a linear programming (LP) model or a mixed-integer linear programming model (MILP). More information about the optimization approach can be found on the pages about our research activities and in the documentation.

+ Can I define custom fuels (e.g. oil) other than biomass, biogas, and natural gas? – Can I define custom fuels (e.g. oil) other than biomass, biogas, and natural gas?

Yes, you can also simulate other non-predefined fuels in the simulation. To do this, you can redefine an existing fuel, for example, consider biomass as oil and change the fuel parameters such as specific CO₂ emissions, primary energy factors, or prices of biomass to the values of oil. This approach is possible because the simulation considers energy quantities (kWh) and not fuel-specific physical properties (e.g. viscosity).

+ Are the calculation models open-source? – Are the calculation models open-source?

No, the optimization algorithms and simulation models are not open-source.

+ What is an "energy hub" in nPro? – What is an "energy hub" in nPro?

An energy hub refers to the centralized energy supply of a district, a building, or any other energy system. This could be a heating center of a district heating network, or just an air-source heat pump of a building. In a heat network model, the central heat generation units or heat sources are part of the energy hub. In a cold district heating network (5GDHC network) with a geothermal field, the geothermal field would be part of the energy hub; the decentralized heat pumps, however, would be defined in the buildings and not in the energy hub.

+ Can I upload my own generation profiles for photovoltaics or solar thermal? – Can I upload my own generation profiles for photovoltaics or solar thermal?

Yes, you can upload your own specific generation profile in the photovoltaic, solar thermal, PVT or wind power settings. This can be helpful if you have created profiles using other software tools and want to use them in nPro.

+ What criteria are used to determine the optimum design? – What criteria are used to determine the optimum design?

By default, the objective function are life cycle costs (net present value). The optimization aims to identify the cost-optimal energy system that can fully meet the specified energy demands and result in the lowest total costs. Additionally, other optimization objectives such as minimizing electricity consumption or minimizing CO₂ emissions can be selected. In the operational simulation, an economically optimal operation of the plants is assumed.

+ Which design targets (objective functions) can be taken into account for the design optimization? – Which design targets (objective functions) can be taken into account for the design optimization?

Various optimization targets can be selected in the settings of the energy hub. These include:

Total annualized costs (life cycle costs): The net present value of the entire system is minimized.
Multi-objective optimization: Costs and CO₂ emissions: In this case, multiple system designs are determined based on different CO₂ prices.
CO₂ emissions: The annual CO₂ emissions of the system are minimized. In this case, it's possible to identify very uneconomical (expensive) systems, as the system design is solely determined by CO₂ emissions, and costs are not a factor.
Electricity consumption from the grid: The annual electricity consumption from the grid is minimized.

+ Can I also minimize the heat pump capacity in the design calculation? – Can I also minimize the heat pump capacity in the design calculation?

Indirectly yes: By adding a heat storage and deactivating the setting "Conservative system design", the optimization will select a smaller heat pump size and utilize the heat storage for peak load coverage. Additionally, adding another heat generator for peak load coverage (electric heating rod or boiler) could also reduce the heat pump capacity.

+ What does the setting "Conservative system design" do? – What does the setting "Conservative system design" do?

When the setting "Conservative system design" is enabled, an energy system is determined, which can cover the maximum energy demands (e.g. maximum heat demand) by only using the generation units (such as boiler, CHP, heat source, district heating, etc.) and not relying on storage units to be able to cover peak loads. In other words, it is assumed that all storage units are fully discharged in the hour with the highest heat demand and cannot contribute to load coverage. However, in some cases, this setting may be hindering: for instance, when a heat pump with a heat storage unit should be sized and an intelligent control allows the heat pump to charge the heat storage unit just before the peak load occurs. In this case, the heat pump could be sized smaller than the actual heating load. Then, during the hour of highest heat demand, the heat pump is operated and the storage is discharged at the same time. Whether the "Conservative system design" option should be enabled or not also depends on the control logic to be implemented in the system. In systems with intelligent control (e.g. predictive control), it is more natural to disable the setting, so that the units can be sized smaller and the storage units can be included for peak load coverage.

+ Can I simulate a hydrogen CHP or a hydrogen boiler? – Can I simulate a hydrogen CHP or a hydrogen boiler?

Yes, you can use the fuel cell model for the design of a hydrogen CHP. When you activate the waste heat utilization in the fuel cell, the fuel cell generates both, heat and electricity, using hydrogen as fuel (just like a CHP) . The ratio of heat and electricity output can be defined through the electric and thermal efficiency. A hydrogen boiler can be represented using the standard boiler model and selecting a different energy carrier (e.g. biogas) instead of hydrogen and adjusting the fuel-related parameters accordingly (factors for CO₂ emissions, primary energy factors and energy purchase prices). This workaround works fine since the boiler model is just converts 1 kWh of fuel into a specific amount of heat according to its thermal efficiency (independent from the fuel type).

+ A technology is sized too large or too small in the optimization. How can I change this? – A technology is sized too large or too small in the optimization. How can I change this?

If you want to influence the sizing of the technologies, you can manually specify capacity constraints. You can set a lower limit for the capacity or an upper limit. If you want to set the capacity of a technology to a fixed value, you can set both the lower and upper limit to that value. In this case, the capacity of the system will not be optimized.

+ Why do the full load hours (or full charging cycles) differ between the design calculation and the operation simulation? – Why do the full load hours (or full charging cycles) differ between the design calculation and the operation simulation?

The design calculation (1st calculation step) is based on a limited number of time steps (design days). Therefore, not all 8760 time steps are considered, but only representative typical days (usually between 20 and 60). In contrast, the operational simulation (2nd calculation step) simulates the full year with all 8760 time steps. This can lead to differences in the KPIs of the system simulation compared to the KPIs of the design calculation.

+ I have a system with two natural gas CHP units. How can I regulate the on-off-behavior of the plants? – I have a system with two natural gas CHP units. How can I regulate the on-off-behavior of the plants?

You have no direct control over the on-off-behavior of the units in the simulation. Since on-off-switches are not connected to additional costs (costs for start-up procedures, etc.), the optimization calculation will also not take this into account when simulating the behavior of the units.

+ Can solar air absorbers be simulated for a cold heat network (5GDHC network) or for regeneration? – Can solar air absorbers be simulated for a cold heat network (5GDHC network) or for regeneration?

Yes, solar air absorbers can be simulated via the solar thermal model. You can either use the preset solar air absorber module or define your own collector model by setting the corresponding parameters (according to ISO 9806). You can also upload your own generation profiles if you have created them using another software tool. In this case, the profiles are not calculated by nPro but assumed as given in the design calculation.

+ Can air heat exchangers (cooling towers) be simulated? – Can air heat exchangers (cooling towers) be simulated?

Yes, these can be represented either through the air-source heat pump or compression chiller model (with appropriately high COP values) or through the solar thermal model (with parameters according to ISO 9806 for a custom collector). If the heat generation profile for an air heat exchanger is already available, it can also be uploaded in the heating/cooling source model with an hourly profile.

Economic analysis

+ What are the default cost parameters based on? – What are the default cost parameters based on?

The cost parameters are derived from various sources, such as the German guideline VDI 2067, as well as nPro's own estimations. The values in nPro are only approximations, so please adjust the values for your specific project and conditions. A good source for cost parameters is the Technology Data of the Danish Energy Agency or the Technology Catalog for Municipal Heat Planning of the State of Baden-Württemberg (Germany).

+ Can subsidies be taken into account? – Can subsidies be taken into account?

Some subsidies can be taken into account in nPro. This includes, for example, subsidies on investments (separately adjustable for buildings, heat network, and energy hub). Feed-in tariffs and subsidies on electricity purchase prices can also be set indirectly through general cost parameters. While detailed funding mechanisms are not directly represented in nPro, in some cases, assumptions can be made to incorporate complex subsidies in the economic assessment.

+ What calculation method is used for the economic analysis? – What calculation method is used for the economic analysis?

The economic assessment is primarily based on the German standard VDI 2067 (similar to the net present value method). In this method, net present values are calculated by discounting future payments to the investment year (year 0). Replacement investments and residual values at the end of the project duration are taken into account. For instance, a heat pump with a technical lifetime of 15 years in a scenario with a project duration of 20 years would need to be installed twice, but at the end of year 20, it would also result in a residual value payment (linear depreciation assumed).

+ The net present value is always negative, why is that? – The net present value is always negative, why is that?

By default, all costs of the system are considered in the economic calculation. However, for an investment to be economically viable, the revenues of the system must also be taken into account. These can come from sources such as the end energy consumers, i.e., the heat consumers of a district. To incorporate revenues, you can define a price (e.g., heat price) for the energy demands covered by the system (e.g., heat demand), for example, 10 ct/kWh. When revenues are considered, the net present value in the economic analysis can become positive.

Validation

+ Can I trust the results of the software? – Can I trust the results of the software?

When users use the nPro tool for the first time, this question is often asked. We address this legitimate question as follows:

A large number of companies already use the nPro software on a daily basis. The high number of users and daily simulations shortens the time for detecting calculation errors and ensures the long-term quality of the software.
We continuously challenge and validate the calculation results. Many critical calculation steps can be thoroughly validated with real data, such as the generation profiles for solar thermal, photovoltaic, or PVT collectors.
We use simple and transparent calculation models in many parts of the calculation, which do not require a validation. An example of a very simple calculation model is the boiler. The boiler model basically consists of an energy balance, linking the fuel enthalpy flow with the heat flow through a constant efficiency.
Step-by-step results: In the software, we provide intermediate results in as much detail as possible. This way, as a user of the software, you can understand how the simulation results are obtained and what are the underlying assumptions.
We transparently publish discovered program errors on our website and promptly address them in the software, depending on their relevance. In the case of critical errors, we proactively inform our users and alert them to the identified program errors.

+ How were the calculation models validated? – How were the calculation models validated?

Many of the calculation steps in nPro have been validated with other established tools. The simulation steps that have not been validated or cannot be validated have been extensively tested and cross-validated in various ways with other tools. Examples of extensively validated calculation steps include the generation of solar thermal, photovoltaic, and PVT generation profiles, as well as the demand simulation for building profiles. The sizing optimization has been compared to sizing decisions made by external engineers for a range of scenarios. However, due to a lack of information about the "true" techno-economic optimum, a systematic and objective validation of the sizing optimization cannot be provided.

+ Have the calculation results been compared with real-world projects? – Have the calculation results been compared with real-world projects?

Yes, we have been able to compare the simulation results for numerous real-world projects (completely or partly) and have found an acceptable accuracy compared to real-world data. However, this validation process is, by its nature, not yet complete and will be continuously pursued to further improve the simulation.

Data privacy

+ Is nPro Energy an independent company? – Is nPro Energy an independent company?

nPro Energy is economically completely independent. There are no economic links or dependencies with other companies or institutions.

+ Is my project data safe? – Is my project data safe?

For our customers, data security is of utmost importance. In addition to user data, users also input sensitive project data into the tool, which is stored on nPro Energy's server infrastructure. Therefore, we place great emphasis on the security of our systems and engage external developers and consultants to ensure data security is maintained consistently and reliably.

+ Who has access to the project data? – Who has access to the project data?

Only the users themselves have access to the project data (unless they have manually shared the project with another user). If you need assistance with your project, please share it with an nPro staff member so they can access the project data. As part of critical security measures, it is also possible that the core development team at nPro may access the contents of the databases. However, this access occurs only in rare exceptions and solely for the maintenance of nPro's IT services.

+ Does nPro comply with German data protection regulations? – Does nPro comply with German data protection regulations?

Yes, nPro Energy complies with the strict German data protection regulations and exclusively uses server infrastructure located within the territory of the Federal Republic of Germany (the server infrastructure is currently hosted in a data center in Frankfurt am Main).

Licences and ordering

+ Can a colleague share and use my user account? – Can a colleague share and use my user account?

No, the user licenses are tied to individuals. We currently do not offer a company-wide license (Floating License). Please purchase a personal single-user license for each user who uses the tool. The prices per license are structured accordingly (see price sheet). nPro monitors the use of individual user licenses through visible and invisible (AI-based) methods. nPro reserves the right to take action against violations of the license terms.

+ How is the payment made? – How is the payment made?

If not otherwise agreed, we invoice the annual usage fee 1 year in advance. Payment can be made via bank transfer or credit card.

+ Is support available? – Is support available?

Yes, we offer technical support, which is currently free of charge. The support can assist you with using the software. You can reach out via email or phone. Additionally, we can arrange video calls.

+ How does the ordering process work? – How does the ordering process work?

If you want to use nPro, we will first send you an offer (quotation). Upon acceptance of the offer, you will receive an invoice from us which you can pay via bank transfer. Payment by credit card is also possible.

+ Which payment methods are available? – Which payment methods are available?

You can pay the usage fee via bank transfer, credit card, or PayPal. The payment details for bank transfer can be found on the corresponding invoice. If you would like to pay with credit card or PayPal, please feel free to contact us.

+ We want to test nPro first. Can we also order nPro for less than 1 year? – We want to test nPro first. Can we also order nPro for less than 1 year?

Yes, that's possible. For new customers, we offer the option to subscribe to nPro for an initial period of 6 months. In addition, you have access to a demo license free of charge for 3 weeks. If you require a different trial period, feel free to contact us, and we will provide you with a custom offer.

+ What does a commercial licence for nPro cost? – What does a commercial licence for nPro cost?

For most of our customers, the license costs pay off if the software saves two hours of work per month. You can find the current prices in our price sheet (PDF).

Academic licence

+ I am an academic user. Can I use nPro for free? – I am an academic user. Can I use nPro for free?

Yes, academic users can generally use nPro for their research free of charge. However, this does not include any commercial contract research or consulting services for companies. Details can be found in the Terms of Use. nPro reserves the right to take action against violations of the license terms.

+ Do I have to prove that I am authorized to use an academic licence? – Do I have to prove that I am authorized to use an academic licence?

No, you do not need to provide formal proof. Simply register with the academic license on the tool page. It is assumed that the Terms of Use are being followed. We reserve the right to individually verify this and take action in case of violations.

Further services from nPro

+ Can I use the calculation models of nPro via an API? – Can I use the calculation models of nPro via an API?

We are working on offering many calculation functions of nPro via an API. This allows you to use specific functions from nPro in your own in-house tools, such as generating heat demand profiles or generation profiles for PVT collectors. If you are interested in using specific calculation functions from nPro via an API, please feel free to contact us.

+ Can a customized, specialized version of nPro be provided for my company? – Can a customized, specialized version of nPro be provided for my company?

Yes, this is possible as part of a development project. If you have very specific calculation features in mind, it is possible to provide you with a specialized software. Feel free to contact us if you're interested.

+ Can nPro assist us in the development of in-house tools? – Can nPro assist us in the development of in-house tools?

nPro has a broad base of calculation and simulation algorithms, from the generation of load profiles to the generation of profiles for solar thermal or PVT collectors to complex optimization algorithms. Do you need code for solar thermal calculation according to ISO 9806? A PVT collector model? Or would you like to use parts of our optimization algorithms? Contact us!

About nPro Energy

+ How many companies are currently using nPro? – How many companies are currently using nPro?

As of October 2023, around 50 companies are using nPro with a commercial license for planning districts and buildings. You can find a list of customers on the References page.

+ Is nPro Energy interested in participating in publicly funded research projects? – Is nPro Energy interested in participating in publicly funded research projects?

Yes, nPro is regularly involved in publicly funded research projects. If you think nPro is a suitable project partner for your research project, whether at national or European level - get in touch with us! We are happy to support you with our experience and know-how - also with the application process.

+ Who founded nPro? – Who founded nPro?

nPro Energy was founded in 2022 by Dr. Marco Wirtz as a spin-off of RWTH Aachen University. The goal of the start-up is to develop a planning software that allows engineers and planners to quickly and easily design and simulate energy systems for buildings and districts.

Technical questions and problems

+ What are the technical requirements to use nPro? – What are the technical requirements to use nPro?

To use nPro, an internet connection is required. No software installation or administrator rights are necessary. Software updates are applied automatically.

+ Is an internet connection required? – Is an internet connection required?

Yes, a stable internet connection is required to use nPro. A very unstable internet connection may lead to issues during usage.

+ How do software updates work in nPro? – How do software updates work in nPro?

Software updates in nPro are provided automatically over the internet. This ensures that you always have access to the latest version of the software. Updates enhance the functionality of the software or fix program errors.

+ Do I need to install nPro on my computer? – Do I need to install nPro on my computer?

No, nPro can be used without installation. All that is needed is an internet browser (e.g. Chrome, Firefox or Safari) and an internet connection.

+ In which internet browsers can I use nPro? – In which internet browsers can I use nPro?

nPro supports the browsers Chrome, Firefox, and Safari without any issues. However, the tool should also work with other commonly used internet browsers. If you encounter any problems, feel free to contact us.

+ The software crashes after a few clicks. What is the reason for this? – The software crashes after a few clicks. What is the reason for this?

If the software crashes after a few clicks and a white screen appears, this is most likely due to an Add-On (extension) in your browser (e.g., Chrome or Firefox), probably the "Google Translate" Add-On. Please disable (or uninstall) the "Google Translate" Add-On in your browser, use a different browser, or open a "Private window" (Firefox) or "Incognito window" (Chrome). If the error still persists, feel free to contact us.

Your question is not answered? Please feel free to contact our technical support at We look forward to helping you!