A new whitepaper reveals why spreadsheet-based models are costing the industry money, and what’s replacing them.

Across the global hydropower sector, billions of dollars in capital decisions are still being made using static spreadsheets, averaged assumptions, and gut instinct. For an industry where a single wrong call can affect decades of returns, that’s a risk few can afford.

A new whitepaper published by HYDROGRID on Power Technology is challenging the status quo, and the findings may surprise even seasoned investors.

What if you could simulate three years of hydropower operations in three days?

That’s exactly what Norwegian developer CADRE AS did, and the results pointed to a 14.5% projected increase in annual revenue from a single upgrade decision. Meanwhile, desert-based pumped storage developer Hyvity used the same methodology to stress-test reservoir sizing and head selection against solar market dynamics before committing a single euro to construction.

The whitepaper, Simulating Investment Decisions in Hydropower, introduces Investment Decision Simulation (IDS) – a digital methodology combining digital twin modelling and machine learning-based inflow forecasting to bring hourly-resolution precision to hydropower investment analysis.

It covers:

• How IDS replaces the laborious, error-prone process of building hydrological models in Excel
• Real-world applications across greenfield feasibility, turbine retrofits, and M&A asset valuation
• How scenario-based ROI reporting strengthens the case with lenders and investors — beyond standard FIRR, NPV, and LCOE metrics

Whether you’re developing a new plant, planning a refurbishment, or evaluating an acquisition, the question isn’t whether simulation matters – it’s whether you can afford to make decisions without it.

Download the full whitepaper free: 👉 Simulating Investment Decisions in Hydropower