Software Comparison
CogenS™ vs HOMER vs XENDEE vs Energy Toolbase vs energyPROEnergy modeling software comparison
CogenS™ models the whole facility, heating, cooling and power, with real manufacturer equipment and the deal economics, in the browser. Here is how it compares with HOMER, XENDEE, Energy Toolbase and energyPRO, feature by feature.
Checked against each vendor's public website on 9 November 2026.
Why teams choose CogenS™
The whole plant in one model
Boilers, chillers, cooling towers, water heaters, thermal storage, CHP, generators, batteries, solar, EV charging and geothermal, simulated together on your real load.
Real equipment, compared on cost
Pick vendor, series and model from built-in manufacturer catalogs, then run several bids side by side and rank them on lifetime cost.
The deal, not just the design
NPV, IRR and payback, plus energy-as-a-service structures (PPA, concession, tolling, shared savings) that solve the charge for a target return.
Browser-based, free to start
Nothing to install, live US and Canadian tariffs through RateAcuity, an AI engineering assistant, and a free tier with every live module.
Feature comparison
| Feature | CogenS™ | HOMER | XENDEE | Energy Toolbase | energyPRO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Technologies modeled | |||||
| Solar PV | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Wind | ✕ Not modeled | ✓ | ✓ | ✕ | ✓ |
| Battery storage | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Generators (gas, diesel, fuel cells) | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✕ | ✓ Engines and CHP units |
| CHP / cogeneration with heat recovery | ✓ | ~ HOMER Pro CHP module | ✓ | ✕ | ✓ |
| Boilers as sized plant equipment | ✓ | ~ A boiler covers leftover heat | ~ In published studies only | ✕ | ✓ |
| Chillers and cooling towers | ✓ | ✕ | ~ Chillers incl. absorption | ✕ | ~ Electric and absorption chillers |
| Hot and chilled water thermal storage | ✓ | ✕ | ✓ | ✕ | ✓ |
| Water heaters, incl. heat pump water heaters | ✓ | ✕ | ✕ | ✕ | ✕ |
| Hydrogen (electrolyzers, fuel cells) | ~ H2 blending in CHP; electrolyzers coming soon | ✓ HOMER Pro hydrogen module | ✓ | ✕ | ~ Electrolyzers |
| EV charging | ✓ | ~ HOMER Grid | ✓ XENDEE Mobility | ✕ | ✕ |
| Geothermal heat pumps with borefield sizing | ✓ | ✕ | ~ Heat pumps listed; no borefield sizing | ✕ | ~ Heat pumps; no borefield sizing |
| District heating and cooling plants | ✓ District Energy Optimizer | ✕ | ✕ | ✕ | ✓ |
| Simulation and optimization | |||||
| Full-year time-series simulation | ✓ 15 to 60 min steps | ✓ 1 min to 1 h | ✓ 15 min; representative days optional | ✓ Hourly or 15 min | ✓ User-set step |
| Sizing and dispatch optimized together (LP / MILP) | ✓ | ~ Searches sizes; rule-based dispatch | ✓ MILP | ✕ | ✓ OPTIMIZE add-on |
| Utility tariff database | ✓ RateAcuity: 3,000+ US and Canadian utilities, electric and gas; free OpenEI US rates; 340+ cities in 87 countries | ~ HOMER Grid: 50,000+ US tariffs | ✓ | ✓ 120,000+ verified rates | ~ Market and user tariffs |
| Demand charges in the result | ✓ | ~ HOMER Grid | ✓ | ✓ | ✕ |
| Grid outages and resilience | ✓ | ~ Grid outages; backup in HOMER Grid | ✓ Critical load; loss of any one unit (N-1) | ~ Controller deployments | ✕ |
| Equipment and finance | |||||
| Built-in manufacturer equipment catalog | ✓ Vendor, series and model | ~ Component library | ✓ Built-in catalogs | ~ OEM batteries | ✕ Unit data typed in |
| Several vendors compared side by side | ✓ Ranked on lifecycle cost | ~ Ranks configurations | ✕ | ✕ | ~ COMPARE add-on |
| NPV, IRR and payback | ✓ | ~ NPC and NPV; IRR in Grid and Front | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ FINANCE add-on |
| Energy-as-a-Service and PPA deals | ✓ PPA, concession, tolling, shared savings | ~ HOMER Front: PPA vs merchant | ~ EaaS from both sides | ~ PPA, loan, lease | ✕ |
| Access | |||||
| Runs in the browser | ✓ | ~ Front is web; Pro and Grid are Windows | ✓ | ✓ | ✕ Windows install |
| Free access | ✓ Free tier; free for students | ~ 14 to 21 day trial | ~ Free for classroom use | ~ 14-day trial | ~ 2-week trial |
| AI engineering assistant in the product | ✓ | ✕ | ✕ | ✕ | ✕ |
Compiled from each vendor's public website, product pages and documentation, checked on 9 November 2026. HOMER covers HOMER Pro, HOMER Grid and HOMER Front; the note names the product where it matters. A cell marked as not documented means we found no public description of the feature, not that it cannot exist, and features can change. HOMER, XENDEE, Energy Toolbase and energyPRO are trademarks of their owners; JIS Energy is not affiliated with them. To correct a cell, email [email protected].
Where CogenS™ fits
CogenS is built for one job: choosing and pricing the right equipment for a real facility, on its own loads and utility tariff, with the economics a decision maker will sign.
A HOMER Pro alternative for buildings and campuses
HOMER is the tool most engineers learn first for hybrid power systems, and for off-grid sites with wind, hydro or diesel it remains a strong choice. CogenS is built for a different job: a facility or campus with heating, cooling and power loads on a real utility tariff. It optimizes equipment sizes and hourly dispatch against that tariff, prices real manufacturer models, models the heating and cooling plant as well as the power side, and runs in the browser with no install.
How CogenS models a microgrid→An XENDEE alternative with thermal plant and equipment catalogs
XENDEE and CogenS both co-optimize distributed energy resources with linear programming and model outages. CogenS adds the thermal side as real equipment: boilers, chillers, cooling towers, water heaters and stratified hot and chilled water tanks, picked from manufacturer catalogs and compared vendor against vendor on lifecycle cost.
The thermal systems guide→XENDEE vs HOMER: which fits your project?
HOMER searches through system sizes and dispatches each one with a rule, which suits early feasibility for off-grid and hybrid systems. XENDEE optimizes sizes and dispatch together with MILP and adds power flow, which suits grid-connected microgrids with resilience targets. If your project also has heating and cooling plant, or needs a vendor-by-vendor equipment comparison, that is where CogenS fits.
An Energy Toolbase alternative beyond solar and storage
Energy Toolbase is built for solar and storage proposals on US tariffs. CogenS covers solar and batteries too, and adds CHP, generators, EV charging, geothermal and the full thermal plant, with energy-as-a-service deal structures that solve the charge needed for a target return.
The battery storage sizing guide→An energyPRO alternative in the browser
energyPRO is a deep Windows tool for district heating and CHP economics, priced as a base license plus add-on modules. CogenS runs in the browser, includes optimization and finance in each module, and adds manufacturer equipment catalogs, EV charging, geothermal borefield sizing and the District Energy Optimizer for campus plants.
The district energy modeling guide→When another tool may fit better
No tool does everything. These are the projects where we would point you elsewhere.
- HOMER (UL Solutions): Off-grid and remote hybrid systems built around wind or hydro, and utility-scale storage revenue (HOMER Front).
- XENDEE: Detailed electrical work such as multi-node power flow, or projects that will run on XENDEE's own microgrid controller.
- Energy Toolbase: Solar and storage sales proposals that will run on Energy Toolbase's own field controller.
- energyPRO: European district heating plants trading in electricity spot markets, or district heating pipe hydraulics.
Questions
Is CogenS a HOMER Pro alternative?
For grid-connected buildings, campuses and microgrids with heating and cooling loads, yes. For off-grid systems built around wind or hydro, HOMER covers technologies CogenS does not model.
What is the difference between XENDEE and HOMER?
HOMER searches through system sizes and dispatches each with a rule. XENDEE optimizes sizing and dispatch together with mixed-integer linear programming and adds power flow and resilience constraints.
Does CogenS model wind turbines?
No. CogenS models solar PV, batteries, generators, CHP, thermal plant, thermal storage, EV charging and geothermal heat pumps. If wind is central to your project, HOMER, XENDEE or energyPRO model it.
Which tool runs in a web browser?
CogenS, XENDEE and Energy Toolbase run in the browser. HOMER Pro and HOMER Grid are Windows desktop applications, HOMER Front is web-based, and energyPRO is a Windows install.
How current is this comparison?
It was checked against each vendor's public website on 9 November 2026. A cell marked "not documented" means we found no public description of the feature, not that it cannot exist. Vendors can write to us to correct anything.
Try CogenS™ on your own project
The free tier includes every live module. Run your own loads, tariff and equipment and compare the result.