Sandia Energy > Resilient Node Cluster Analysis Tool The Resilient Node Cluster Analysis Tool (ReNCAT), developed by Sandia National Laboratories, is publicly available for download. This desktop application provides decision support for stakeholders to identify potential portfolios of microgrids within a community or set of communities that maximize residents’ access to critical services in an equitable way while minimizing investment costs needed to build the microgrids and implement other resilience measures. Download ReNCAT Using ReNCAT, analysts and stakeholders can: Identify portfolios of microgrids that tradeoff between lowering Social Burden and investment costsQuantify overall Social Burden, Social Burden for geographical subsets of the population, and Social Burden associated with individual types of critical servicesAnalyze tradeoffs between dropping critical and/or non-critical loads and purchasing more generationUnderstand how critical service coverage changes with additional investments as Social Burden decreases and cost increases Sandia works with cities, community organizations, utilities, contractors, and universities on ReNCAT and Social Burden projects. ReNCAT and its Social Burden evaluation have been used for multiple projects and agencies, some of which include analyses for the communities of New Orleans, LA; Puerto Rico; Pittsburgh, PA; Nags Head, NC; San Antonio, TX; the Iowa Tribe of Kansas and Nebraska; Colorado Springs, CO; and the state of California. Locations of ReNCAT and Social Burden community-based projects View the Renewable Energy & Distributed Systems Integration webpage for more information about Sandia’s capabilities and research. Email Updates To sign up for Electric Grid updates, please enter your email below. ReNCAT Software Toolkit The ReNCAT toolkit consists of the ReNCAT Desktop Application, The QGIS Social Burden Plugin, and various pre-processing and post-processing tools to help researchers and communities understand tradeoffs between different potential investments to improve community resilience. These tools are available to the public free of charge through the links below and are updated as new tools are developed. Software Downloads ReNCAT Desktop Application Sandia’s Resilient Node Cluster Analysis Tool (ReNCAT) analyzes geographical areas for optimal placement of microgrids and other grid resilience investments, ensuring critical services remain available and are equitably distributed during grid outages. The tool uses distribution system topology, critical infrastructure locations, demographic information, and anticipated threat impacts to prioritize the areas that can maximize access to critical services while benefitting the greatest number of impacted people. Download ReNCAT Desktop Application QGIS Social Burden Plugin The QGIS Social Burden Calculator Plugin calculates total, per-service, and per-population group Social Burden scores and provides the outputs in shapefile and tabular formats for visualizing, mapping, analyzing, and post-processing. The Social Burden metric quantifies the burden a population experiences when attaining services needed from critical infrastructure. Download QGIS Social Burden Plugin GeoCricket Sandia’s Geospatial Critical Infrastructure and Census Data Stockpile Tool (GeoCricket) is a collection of functions that collect critical infrastructure and Census data for use in equitable resilience tools to inform place-based work. Download GeoCricket Resources Training Materials ReNCAT User Manual Fact Sheets ReNCAT fact sheet Publications ReNCAT: The Resilient Node Cluster Analysis ToolMeasuring Social Infrastructure Service Burden Quantitative approaches for including equity in risk and resilience infrastructure planning analysesEffect of Realistic Routing on the Social Burden MetricIntegration of Equitable Resilience Metrics into Climate-informed Electric Utility Planning Processes, Phase One Contact Amanda Wachtel awachte@sandia.gov Sandia National Laboratories