The National Laboratory of the Rockies (NLR) has released a web-based version of its Pumped Storage Hydropower (PSH) Cost Model, expanding access to a tool designed to support project screening, comparative analysis and early-stage investment decision-making.
The new platform replaces spreadsheet-only access with an interactive interface that incorporates updated cost data, additional dam construction materials, liner options and multiple pump-turbine configurations. According to NLR, the web-based format is intended to improve usability while maintaining transparency through an open-source, component-level methodology.
A key feature of the upgrade is the integration of NLR’s PSH Life Cycle Assessment tool, enabling users to assess capital costs alongside environmental impacts within a single analytical framework. The combined model allows developers and planners to evaluate trade-offs between design choices, cost structures and lifecycle impacts at a site-specific level.
The cost model applies a bottom-up approach, generating estimates based on user-defined parameters such as reservoir geometry, hydraulic head, conveyance layout, dam type and indirect cost assumptions. Outputs include component-level and total plant costs, as well as performance parameters relevant to system sizing and grid services.
The tool is structured to accommodate both large-scale and small-scale projects, with distinct calculation pathways for systems below and above 25 MW. While the web application defaults to large installations, users can adjust assumptions or remove cost categories to reflect local conditions or alternative development concepts, including closed-loop configurations requiring two new reservoirs.
NLR said the updated model is intended to address ongoing challenges in comparing pumped storage projects across regions, where cost variability linked to geology, terrain and design choices can significantly influence feasibility assessments.
Development of the model involved technical input and validation from HDR Inc. and Small Hydro Consulting LLC, providing industry perspectives across a range of project scales. NLR noted that this collaboration informed several refinements, including differentiated cost structures for smaller versus larger PSH schemes.
The web-based cost model and supporting documentation are now available through the OpenEI platform, alongside recent NLR technical reports detailing the underlying cost methodology and pumped storage development concepts.
