Modeling Tools
| Name | Developer | Platform | Methodology |
|---|---|---|---|
| BALMOREL | Ravn, Hans | GAMS | Optimization |
| C-ROADS | Climate Interactive | Windows and Mac | Systems Dynamics |
| CLEER | US AID | Excel | Accounting |
| COMPOSE | EnergiAnalyse, Denmark | Windows | Accounting/Optimization |
| CRANE | Prime Coalition and Rho Impact | Web | Accounting |
| CREST | NREL | Excel | Accounting |
| CURB | World Bank | Excel | Accounting |
| CityInSight | Sustainability Solutions Group | Unknown | Geospatial systems dynamics modeling |
| DAP | IED | Windows | Optimization |
| EFFECT | World Bank | Excel | Accounting |
| ENPEP-BALANCE | Argonne National Lab | Windows | Simulation |
| EPRI Load Shape Library | EPRI | Web-based database | Database |
| Energy Costing Tool | UNDP | Excel | Accounting |
| EnergyPLAN | Aalborg University, Denmark | Windows | Simulation/Optimization |
| FABLE | FABLE Consortium | Excel | Accounting based on three main steps: human food consumption, livestock production and crop production. |
| FINPLAN | IAEA | Web | Accounting |
| FlexTool | IRENA | Excel/GLPK (Windows) | Optimization |
| GACMO | UNEP DTU Partnership | Excel | Accounting |
| GAP | IED | Windows | Optimization |
| GEMIS | IINAS | Windows | Accounting |
| GEOSIM | IED | Windows | Optimization |
| GREET | Argonne National Lab | Excel | Accounting |
| HOMER Pro | HOMER Energy LLC | Windows | Accounting/Optimization |
| IBC | SEI | Windows/LEAP | Reduced Form atmospheric/geochemistry model combiend with relative risk functions for diseases and other impacts functions. |
| JEDI | NREL | Excel | Economic cost-benfit analysis (economic multipliers) |
| LEAP | SEI | Windows | Accounting/Simulation/Optimization |
| MAC Tool | World Bank | Excel | Accounting |
| MAED | IAEA | Excel | Accounting |
| MEPSY | CLASP | Web | Bottom-up accounting calculations based on stock, sales, and energy performance data from in-country market studies, or country-level estimates. |
| MESSAGE | IAEA and IIASA | Windows | Optimization |
| META | World Bank | Excel | Accounting |
| MOVES | US EPA | Windows | Accounting |
| MedPro | ENERDATA | Windows | Accounting |
| MoFuSS | UNAM and SEI | Web-based/linux/windows | Geospatial analysis and modeling |
| NEMO | SEI | Windows 64-bit/Julia/Integrated within LEAP | Optimization |
| OSeMOSYS | KTH, SEI, UCL et al | GLPK: The GNU Linear Programming Kit | Optimization |
| PLEXOS | Energy Exemplar | Windows | Optimization |
| PROSPECTS+ | New Climate Institute | Excel | Accounting |
| RETScreen | NRCAN | Excel or Windows (RETScreen Plus) | Accounting |
| REexplorer | NREL | Web | GIS/Accounting/Database |
| SICA-Bioenergy | Adrian Ghilardi | Web | Geospatial modeling and optimization |
| SIELAC | OLADE | Web | Database |
| SIMPACTS | IAEA | Windows | Accounting |
| SUPER | OLADE | Windows | Simulation/Optimization |
| TIMES/MARKAL | ETSAP | Windows | Optimization |
| TRACE | World Bank | Windows | Accounting |
| WASP | IAEA | Windows | Optimization |
| WEAP | SEI | Windows | Accounting/Simulation |
TIMES/MARKAL
- Full Name:
- The Integrated MARKAL-EFOM System
- Developer:
- ETSAP
- Scope:
- Integrated Energy/Environment Analysis
- Methodology:
- Optimization
- Platform:
- Windows
- Cost:
- $3,300-$15,000 depending on type of institution.
- More Info:
- See TIMES/MARKAL website
- Contact:
- support@etsap.org
MARKAL (MARket ALlocation) is a technology-focused energy/economic/environmental model. It was developed in a collaborative effort under the auspices of the International Energy Agency Energy Technology Systems Analysis Programme (ETSAP).
MARKAL is a generic model tailored by the input data to represent the evolution over a period of usually 20 to 50 years of a specific energy-environment system at the national, regional, state or province, or community level. The system is represented as a network, depicting all possible flows of energy from resource extraction, through energy transformation and end-use devices, to demand for useful energy services. Each link in the network is characterized by a set of technical coefficients (e.g., capacity, efficiency), environmental emission coefficients (e.g., CO2, SOx, NOx), and economic coefficients (e.g., capital costs, date of commercialization). Many such energy networks or Reference Energy Systems (RES) are feasible for each time period. MARKAL finds the best RES for each time period by selecting the set of options that minimizes total system cost over the entire planning horizon.
TIMES (The Integrated MARKAL-EFOM System) builds on the best features of MARKAL and the Energy Flow Optimization Model (EFOM). In order to work with MARKAL, you need a number of software elements: MARKAL itself, a user-interface (two are available for Windows: ANSWER and VEDA), GAMS (a high-level modeling system for mathematical programming problems) and an optimizing solver such as MINOS, CPLEX or OSL.
A number of varations of MARKAL are available including:
- MARKAL-MACRO: which links MARKAL with a macroeconomic model to provide demands that are endogenous and responsive to price, and estimates of GDP impact and feedbacks. STOCHASTIC, which associates probabilities with the occurrence of each scenario, allowing hedging strategies to be determined that identify robust rather than purely optimal strategies.
- GOAL PROGRAMMING: which solves MARKAL according to the weighted preferences of various stakeholders with respect to cost versus environmental goals.
