AERMOD is the industry standard for modeling how air pollutants disperse from industrial sources. Because it is required by the EPA for many regulatory permits, finding a way to use it without a massive price tag is a top priority for environmental engineers and students.
: Open-source wrappers written in Python or R to help automate runs. Understanding the "Free" Version vs. Paid Software
AERMOD has a wide range of applications in air quality management, including:
AERMOD has several key features that make it a useful tool for air quality management:
AERMOD is the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) preferred regulatory air dispersion model for assessing pollutant concentrations from industrial sources. While commercial user interfaces exist, —as in no cost and publicly available. This report clarifies what “AERMOD free” means, outlines the freely available components (code, executable, input processors, and output processors), and provides guidance on how to build a fully functional, legally defensible modeling system without purchasing commercial software. The report also discusses limitations and best practices for free implementations.