Texas State University Alternative Energy Source Research Powered by Lanner Group WITNESS® Simulation Software

Houston, TX, November 12, 2010 --(PR.com)-- Lanner Group Inc., the simulation-modeling and process improvement specialist, and its newest academic partner, Texas State University-San Marcos, announce the start of a research project focusing on alternative energy resources using award-winning WITNESS software.

The research project proposes a simulation-based method for designing the optimal configuration that integrates alternative energy resources, such as wind turbines and solar photovoltaics (PV), into existing electric grid systems.

The simulation model comprises a power plant, a wind farm, and a PV-based system. The simulation model incorporates the random power outputs associated with wind turbines and PV’s. WITNESS simulation language was selected for the modeling effort.

Saul Villarreal and Greg Guzman, Industrial Engineering majors, are leading the project. Drs. Jesus A. Jimenez and Tongdan Jin are the faculty mentors.

As renewable energy penetrates the utility market, the electricity industry is undergoing a paradigm shift that will lead to a fundamental change in the way of supplying electricity through distributed generation systems, explains Mandy Tague, Lanner Group director of business development, Americas.

"Process improvement software has to be adaptable to any scenario it's introduced to. WITNESS works by enabling the user to represent real-world processes in a dynamic animated computer model allowing experimentation with alternative what-if? scenarios."

She adds, "WITNESS software's interface is intuitive and quick to learn. At Lanner Group we're gratified to learn that researchers at Texas State University-San Marcos are confident enough with the system to begin academic projects after such a short time."

Lanner Group, an established global market leader in simulation modeling software and business process management, awarded a gift-in-kind donation of more than $300,000 to the Ingram School of Engineering at Texas State University-San Marcos earlier this year.

WITNESS simulation modeling software is used in engineering courses taught at Texas State's Ingram School of Engineering as well as at the school's Center for High Performance Systems (CHiPS), where students and faculty conduct research on production logistics, systems design, semiconductor manufacturing, material handling systems and intelligent transportation systems.

Teaching of the software began in undergraduate classes in fall 2010 and will also be used by students in real-world projects with area companies.

UK-based parent company, Lanner Group Ltd, launched its current WITNESS simulator suite, designed to help firms simulate and analyse how corporate decisions will affect the environment, earlier this year. The simulation-modeling software's functionality covers a wide range of environmental metrics, including carbon emissions and electricity, oil, water, gas and steam use.

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About Lanner Group's international academic program:
Lanner Group's international academic program partners with universities from across the globe and is renowned in the field of simulation worldwide. The partnership program has been established for over 25 years and has worked with over 100 universities during that time in developing simulation best practice.

WITNESS® is used to aid research studies and give a mechanism for recommending improvements to the organizations involved. The use of the industry's leading simulation tool enhances the opportunities for securing projects with the commercial sector.

WITNESS® educational packages comprise a combination the following items:
· Licensing- Standalone or Network licenses are available for unlimited size or reduced capacity
· WITNESS® implementations. Optimization and Virtual Reality plug-ins are also available.
· Training - Lecturers can be trained to the same level as our commercial customers on our public training courses.
· Software support - Covering Helpdesk support, product upgrades and, this service ensures you have the best tools and skills available.
· Lecturer assistance - Tutorial Guides and Quick Reference booklets are provided for students, assisting the lecturer in the delivery of his or her course.

About Lanner Group, Inc.
is the Americas subsidiary of Lanner Group Ltd, a UK company dedicated to delivering innovative solutions to model, analyze and optimize processes through simulation software enabling business managers to make comprehensive decisions in a risk-free environment. Its client roster includes over 3000 customers including end users HP, 3M, Boeing, Ford, GM, Nissan, and Rolls Royce. In 2010 Lanner Group, Inc. which is based in Houston, Texas, was certified a Top 20% Performer by Open Ratings Inc., a Dun & Bradstreet company based on Past Performance Evaluation responses of its reference customers.